Friday Favorites & DIY Dresser Redo

DRESSER REDO.

I had this dresser in my room and I failed at getting a photo of it before when it was in my room. I decided to paint it an off white color while sanding some areas to show undertones of the stain I used.

So...before.
 
         


And after...

Now I had my brother in law install two shelves so I could replace drawers with these two cute baskets that I got from Michaels! 

So minus a couple knobs on the back I have to get on another run to Home Depot, It's finished. And for the most part, I'm pretty happy for it! I used chalk white paint and a dark stain a long with a power sander! ...I will now respond to Joanna Gaines. ;) 

I got my film back...

So the start of my summer, I bought a film camera. I knew nothing about them other then I needed some film and the camera to start. Hah! I went ahead and bought a Canon mostly because that's what I've used with my DSLR so why not keep it going...I'm a Canon girl. The camera I bought was used and came with out a manual so the first thing I did was download the manual guide on the internet and just read, read, read. I absolutely hate directions and would rather just play around till I figure things out for myself! Haha :) But to learn all the settings....I had to definitely take some more time to dive into it.  I got this super cute strap for like $5.00 ...gotta love Amazon.

Now, I've always been a photography girl from day one. I love using my creativity through my camera and capturing moments in an artistic way. Going through school, I always wanted to buy a film camera but never did. I knew this summer was the perfect opportunity for me to pick it up and learn.  I bought 400 ISO 35 mm Kodak film and I ordered my film from Rock brook Camera and got it back within a week. There's just something about getting to see your photos in print for the first time and seeing your negatives. It's nerdy...and it's like a glimpse of Christmas morning. :)  

So here we are...here are some of my favorites from my kayaking trip at Holmes Lake! All these were taken with my 50 mm lens and black and white ISO 400 film.

If you're on the fence about learning Film photography...I would just say DO it. It really teaches you about manual settings  (exposure, shutter speed and aperture ) and how the camera works. 

Picking up photos from the lab was such a great feeling. I got to look and and see photos I forgot about taking, be surprised on photos that came out with little flaws and sun glares. There's a special quality and grain of the photo and as a photographer, it couldn't get more beautiful.

Next up....processing the photos myself? We'll see :) 

Happy Monday, friends! 

Best, 

Olivia

My Quiet Time

My Quiet Time

So I've debated on blogging about this because my quiet time is such a personal thing for me to have but I wanted to share a little bit of mine just in hopes that you can benefit from it too! If you have any books, devotions, etc that you would like to share as well, I would absolutely love that! 

Quiet Time hasn't always came easy for me. It's been a working progress and something that definitely goes in waves for me. I went back to my hometown a couple summers ago and worked at the local newspaper there but didn't start work until 9 a.m. It was that summer I really established what I wanted a quiet time to look like for me. I would get up around 7 or 7:30 and have a good amount of time to drink my coffee, sit on the porch, read by bible, journal, and pray. Ever since then, I've always craved that time. I did go through a rough patch there where I was just going through the motions and didn't really want much to do with God or my faith. It was a hard time for me, but that may be a different story for a different time. Just know that if you're in a valley and not on the mountain, it's okay. Some valleys are longer and some are shorter! Just keep moving, God will guide you up the mountain. 

The best thing I've done that's helped me with my Quiet Time has been buying this Bible. 

 

Life Application Study Bible NLT  

My mom has been using this Bible for quite sometime and it was those two summers ago I picked it up and started reading hers. It wasn't too much longer after that I decided to go buy my own. I bought the hard copy and as you can see my cover is getting a little worn - I'm bad and don't always carry it around in a case!  

There's a few things that I really like what this Study Bible has...

before each chapter begins it sets off with an intro page that describes what the book is about. I really like that it tells me who the author is and what the purpose of the book was. It just really helps me put everything into context! 

       

I know a lot of Study Bibles out there have footnotes. But when I'm reading these, it just really helped me put the Word into modern day perspective. I know the Bible is huge and it's a lot to grasp and sometimes it can just be draining in some aspects, but the footnotes really help me.  

A lot of people use Bible apps and read it on their phones, but I'm just so old school and love having a pen to underline verses I like and write notes in my journal as I go. Whatever works for you! I'm sure you can find a great study bible app as well. 

The second book that I really love is my Jesus Calling devotion book.  There's many different versions of these but I think anything by Sarah Young would be wonderful.

You flip to the day's date and there's a devotion. I just love reading these before my day begins.

There are a couple verses on the bottom of the passage if you'd like to flip open your bible and read more.



I would love it if you have anything to share on this topic. Look forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Olivia