Show Us Your Life: Dining Rooms

Not surprising to anyone, I'm sure, I have discovered that a lot of life takes place in my dining room. Could this mean I eat too much?

My dining room is the least themed...most hodge-podged room in my entire house. But I still love it.

Yes. I have a bookshelf in my dining room. Doesn't everyone? It's here because it fits so nicely in this little corner. This is my fiction shelf...with all the stuff I grew up with: Anne of Green Gables. The Chronicles of Narnia. Everything by Lori Wick and Janette Oke and Francine Rivers. 

One of my first Pinterest projects from this year: the Nevertheless sign hangs in the dining room. I pass it as I walk into the kitchen...always a good reminder.

Hangs right above this - which is not only one of my favorite things in my house....but it also has a great lesson with it. (Told here and here.)

I bought these candle holders at Hobby Lobby after Christmas and am WELL aware that the candle display on them...is garish at best. Nothing matches. Some are burned, some are not. But they're the candles I had in the drawer. Note to self: go candle shopping.

Do you mean to tell me you don't have a coffee table in your dining room EITHER?? I got this for FREE, if you can believe it, from a friend of mine several years ago. It's one nicely constructed coffee table - and it's unique. Add the free factor, and what's not to love? But my living room isn't big enough to hold it, so until I move, it's stuck in the dining room, holding the mismatched candles and the kitty pictures.

Ahhhh there is something that belongs in the dining room. The TABLE!! I used to have a big extended-leaf dining table that seated anywhere from 6-12 people. But I rarely had big groups of people in, so I gave it away and bought this tall square table that has served me quite well. I put it together myself and it's still standing, which is a feat I'm VERY proud of! :) And on the table...another Pinterest project...the vase with burlap and ribbon.

The buffet that used to belong to my grandparents. I didn't give it away with the big table. It is much-needed storage for this, that, and the other...and since the table isn't big enough to hold plates AND all the food, this is where I put the food when I'm entertaining.

My $100 mirror - purchased for $20, thankyouverymuch. When I move, I'm spray painting the frame. I'm completely over the gold.

And now...a little walk down memory lane. This is the table of yore...the big one. It's also the Bekah of yore...with no hair and lotsa pounds!! This is where I spent HOURS organizing my first book. (Not the Advent book. Another book I wrote and gave for a Christmas gift one year.)

Wow. The hair gets worse!! This is also where I hosted hours and hours of scrapping with Faith and my friend Sarah...and probably many others along the way. We camped out for entire WEEKENDS.

The candle wax disaster, which took place one year while I was hosting Thanksgiving.

And consequently I spent the rest of the holiday ironing red wax out of the carpet. In festive shoes, no less.

Angela's open house to celebrate graduating with her masters in counseling was held in that room...

I signed the papers to purchase the house in that room. (See that utter fear on my face?)

And once upon a time...I even hosted Christmas in there. As in the family Christmas. Clearly we have a small family.

Game nights galore...which of course, translates to getting the snot beat out of me in most games - and definitely in Dutch Blitz!

And of course - hours of craft projects with the kiddos when they came to visit!!

Hoping the new house will hold as many fun entertaining memories...and with any luck - an actual THEME for the room!