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believer | creating a home of peace, health, abundance and beauty | laughing a lot

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How Cheaters Lie Without Actually Lying

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

“I never even held hands with her.” As it turns out, you can do a whole lot with another woman WITHOUT EVER holding her hand. I’m embarrassed to tell you how long it took for me to realize that, and then my eyes were opened and I realized, WOW. YOU AIN’T EVEN GOTTA HOLD HANDS. “When would I have time?” That’s such a great answer to the question, “Is something…
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The Times I Didn’t Get Married

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Well, maybe it’s not an elephant to YOU, but if you read my last post, you know that I quit blogging for a few years because of fear and shame related to being divorced. Twice. Ahem. And that fear and shame was compounded because the whole {phony} second-marriage “love story” was played out so publicly across this blog and my…
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Moving Forward

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

I started this blog long ago, on a platform that doesn’t even exist anymore, just to talk about my home renovation project. My mom read it. I mean, those were the only people reading blogs back in those days… just your own friends and family. And then somehow my blog following grew, and I have no idea how or why, but at one point there were over 100k visitors to…
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Love and Dirty Windows.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

If you’ve followed me for very long, it’s no surprise that I love old houses. I mean, take a gander at my Instagram if you don’t believe me. I’m obsessed with 1930s architecture, vintage tile, worn hardwood floors, glass doorknobs… Sigh. I’ve had a not-so-secret desire to be a real estate agent since way back when I graduated from college, because I love houses. I also (mostly) love people, and…
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{Strictly Fiction} His Name Was John.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

It was in college, the first time she laid eyes on him. She walked into a staff meeting for her new on-campus job at the college gym, and there he was. Tall, black hair, blue eyes. And he had on those Wranglers. Country boy, she thought. I like it. But lots of girls had their eye on him, as was bound to happen. Tall guys with black hair and blue…
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That Time I Online Dated for 48 Hours.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

Listen, no offense to those of you who LOOOOVE your online dating scene. I get it… more and more of you are meeting your True Love on Match or Harmony or the FARMERS one, for the love (snort…. have you seen those commercials???), and that’s fine. Great. Nothing wrong with that. Whatever. God bless you and may you live happily ever after with the farmer of your dreams.  But let…
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How I Got from There to Here

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

Hi friends! Gosh, how I’ve missed you all! Some of you have been with me since the humble beginnings of this little ‘ole blog back in 2006 when I had bought a certain Blue House, all the way through the heyday of a shocking 115,000+ visitors a month, and I have loved having you along for the crazy ride. I made SO MANY real friends through this blog that I…
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Letting Go of Plan C.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

It’s 4-something in the morning as I’m sitting down to write this. That’s my normal time these days to be out of bed, sitting in my living room, talking to God and reading my Bible. Not that I wouldn’t LOVE to be in my bed right now, but like everything else lately, nothing is going according to my own plans, especially not my plan to get a decent night’s sleep…
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Lies, and more lies.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

Once upon a time, I met a girl who became my INSTANT BFF. I mean, this INSTANT connection happened between us, where I’d say, “I love XYZ,” and she’d gasp and exclaim, “ME TOO!” And I’d talk about music, and my favorite songs were her favorite ones, too. It was that way with ALL THE THINGS… every idea I had, she thought was brilliant; everything I liked to do, she…
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Our Living Room Tour {Before} and a Remodeling Update.

Melissa Beene Ford/ before and after+ Remodeling

It’s been TEN MONTHS since I filled you in on our remodeling progress. TEN! I know you’ve been lying awake at night, panic-stricken because you don’t know WHAT’S GOING ON?!?! HAVE THEY PAINTED?! HAVE THEY GOTTEN CARPET?! And I’m sorry about for leaving you hanging, but you can stop making a big deal out of it because I’m about to fill you in. Meanwhile, if you’re new here, you need…
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I Want to be a Nurse.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Uncategorized

I think it started sometime back in high school, when I was trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. Seems like nursing crossed my mind more than once. I don’t know why I didn’t do it. Probably because I spent my college years skipping haphazardly through sixteen different majors… Two different times during my college career I stuck my toe into the ‘nursing school’ water, took…
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The Best Dern Tootin’ Texas Style Chili. My

Melissa Beene Ford/ Cooking

  Y’all. I have a confession to make, and it’s embarrassing: up until recently, I didn’t have a Texas Chili recipe because I always made my chili… from a mix. I know. I know! It was a shameful secret I lived with until an out-of-state relative called me to ask for my chili recipe, because she just *KNEW* that out of ALL the people she knew in Texas, I’d be…
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About Me


Hey there... I'm Melissa! Texas girl. Mom to three + one goldendoodle. Believer. Old house fanatic. Creating a happy + healthy home with purpose is my passion. I'm so glad you're here!

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I don’t know who’s big idea it was to strip 80 I don’t know who’s big idea it was to strip 80 years of paint off of this door down to the wood and start over… but that person has no business starting new projects. 😅 My neighbors must have thought this project would never end. *I* thought this project would never end. 😰 If you’re thinking of doing this yourself? Just don’t, ok? Throw the whole door away and buy a new one. 😂🤣 Just kidding.  Old house weirdos like me… we can’t just do things the easy way. Anyhoo… after some trial and error, @sherwinwilliams Celestial is what I landed on, and I have to say… I like it. Periwinkle-ish blue looks great with the yellow house and will look even better when the azaleas are in bloom. Was it all worth it? That’s not important right now. 🤭 Will I do this all again in two years? The magic eight ball says… without a doubt. 👏🏻 I’ve already picked the next color. #gluttonforpunishment #somefoolsneverlearn #oldhouselove #oldhomelove #makinghome #southernliving #gardenandgun #azaleadistrict #tylertx
Spring in the Azalea District makes the winters in Spring in the Azalea District makes the winters in an 80-year-old house completely worth it … what broken pipes, icy hardwood floors and drafty windows? 🤔 I forgot already. #comeonspring #azaleadistrict #tylertx
Happy Saturday ☀️ Happy Saturday ☀️
Salt Lake City is always magical ✨ Salt Lake City is always magical ✨
2022 had its highs and lows for sure, but scrollin 2022 had its highs and lows for sure, but scrolling through my pics from the last twelve months made me realize how blessed and content I am. Prosperity, love, and peace have been ours in abundance, in spite of the pain of losing my dad. The second picture is the last picture of him… the last time I saw him. 💔 But God has been good to my family this year and 2022 is ending far better than it began. 😄 #2022inreview #thanksforthememories
Who wants a Christmas tour of my home? 🙋🏼‍ Who wants a Christmas tour of my home? 🙋🏼‍♀️
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That’s it. That’s the tour. (Slide two). 
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It’s a new trend I’m starting: bare Christmas tree. Lowe’s tag still attached (so quirky and unexpected)! Christmas ornaments still in boxes. Coming soon to an Anthropologie window display near you. 
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Every year I think, “next year I’ll do better. Next year I’ll have it together.” And then, here we are on the SIXTH Christmas that we’ve been in this house, the sixth Christmas I’ve dragged our chaotic bunch of Christmas mess out of a chaotic garage I still haven’t unpacked from our move six years ago. 
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Maybe this year is the year I’ll organize it all and put it back neatly so that by Christmas number 7, it will be smooth sailing. People will flock to my social media to see how I’ve pulled everything off SO PERFECTLY. Next year will be my year. 
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Seems every year there’s less and less bandwidth for all these things. There’s more grief and stress, less money. More demands, less grace. 
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I put this sign on the wall in my office so I could keep it in front of my eyes: Love. Joy. Peace. And all that. I am SO unlike Jesus most days. So lacking in all of these character qualities. And that’s WITH waking up most mornings and spending my first 30 minutes with God Himself. 
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How lost would I be without that? Geez. I can’t fathom. I REQUIRE being transformed by renewing my mind every single morning, and even then, responding to people and life with love, joy, peace and patience doesn’t come naturally. 
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It’s the goal, though. 
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This weary world needs that from us Believers during this season, more than ever… even more than an Anthropologie-window-display worthy Christmas home tour. 
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I’m working on both.
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