Design on a Dime...I mean Euro.

We live in a 6th floor apartment right off of a main street in Torino, Italy. Our flat is roughly 1000 square feet, including balconies. With three children, a pretty small space and an outrageously priced economy (ie. we pay $1600/mo for our apartment), we have been forced to use some creativity with our usage of space, as well as our taste in design. Yes, we have traded in our dream of having Eames chairs for the reality of the fifteen Euro chairs in the as-is section at Ikea. But creating a warm, inviting space is still always at the forefront of our "as-is" picks. Perhaps you live or are wanting to live in a small space in an urban environment. I hope you can get some tips on small space living from these pictures and ideas! And remember, LESS IS ALWAYS MORE!!!

Boys Room: With two energetic boys, the biggest problem I have with the boys' room is CLUTTER. I try to maintain the clutter by assuring each toy has its own home, also known as a bin or container. While we couldn't afford a wardrobe to act as a closet, we tried to utilize under-the-bed storage as well as shelves.
Red Bookshelf: 39 Euro - IKEA
Red toy shelves (on wheels): 15 Euro each - Ikea (they are stacked and screwed together and Thomas added the wheels to make it a mobile piece)
TV: We did some price comparison and opted for this no-brand TV for the boys room. It has a built-in Universal DVD player and was a fraction of the cost. Hint: Ask an employee what he thinks of said brand. In this case, the only reason this brand cost less is because it isn't popular. Also, although the TV placement may look a little strange, we placed it behind the toy shelf so that it would not get run into. We also placed it at eye level for a child so that the boys could sit on their bed and watch it or play the Wii.
Wii: Thomas mounted the Wii so that it is permanent (in the case that our boys are a little too rowdy and run into it).

Bed: 199 - IKEA

Road Rug: 14 Euro - IKEA
Small black table: 5 Euro - IKEA We have two of these black tables and they travel all over our home for various pertinent needs. Right now, our three year-old is really into coloring, so it made its way into the boys room to act as a kids table. Other times it is outside as a play-doh table or a side table for food when we have parties.
Green stools: 5.99 Euro - IKEA



Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Kite: $20 - Target (although I saw it on clearance for $6.99 right before we moved and wanted to scream! While they don't really have sales in Italy, in the States I always recommend waiting for things to go on sale. I had to re-learn this lesson with this kite!)
Desk: 35 Euro - IKEA We chose this one because, for the money, it had the most amount of "storage" both with the pull out keyboard area and underneath it.
Red Shelves: 4.99 Euro - IKEA
1-2-3 Bins: 2.99 Euro for a pack of three. I think the rule with 8 year-olds is to give them a space of their own. Our son isn't quite at an age that he can organize all of his "trinkets" on his own, so any help (like these bins) is always good. In this case, I had him help me place the items in each bin, so that he would know where to put things on his own. For example, one #2 bin is a "SPY GEAR" bin. Another bin holds memorable items, like pictures of family in the US and important gifts he has received.
Star Wars Pictures: $6 from the good ole American Post Office. They were on clearance and Thomas grabbed all the ones they had left. They are matted and ready to (one day) be framed and placed on the walls.

Dresser: 69 Euro - IKEA (Each of the boys has only two drawers for their clothes-One for shirts and the other for pants and pajamas-- This forces me to downsize, although I would like another dresser so that clothes aren't always spilling out!)
Black storage bins: 2 Euro in as-is section -IKEA
Behind the door coat rack/hooks: 6.99 Euro - IKEA (I love HOOKS and because of the many jackets we have floating around the house I almost always opt to put such coat racks behind doors, so that they are out of sight! And a hint: When buying a coat rack, go for hooks and NOT pegs. I made the mistake of putting pegs behind Keziah's door, and everything subsequently falls down because there is nothing to secure the item).

The 30 Euro Girls Room Makeover
Somewhere between five and six, our daughter decided that princesses were a thing of the past, associated only with "little girls," not big ones like herself. This would have been fine if we hadn't decorated her entire room around a princess theme the previous year. She decided polka dots would suffice when changing her room into a "teenage room" and thus I painted some dots, added some hot pink curtains, re-located our green run, and took down all things princess-y!
Curtains: 6.99 Euro/2 - IKEA
White Table: 5 Euro - IKEA
Acrylic paint for polka dots: 10 Euro
Overhead Paper Light: 6.99 Euro - IKEA


Living. Room.
It's called a living room for a reason. This is certainly where we do a majority of our living, and especially our entertaining. For me, this is the most important room in the house. I take great care that the ambiance is just right and that someone who walks into this room would feel at home. Unlike every other place we have lived, we went with a very light color on the walls this time. It's a pale blue and during the day it matches the sky. In this way, I feel like the outdoors are simply an extension of our living space. It in essence opens the room up and takes advantage of all the natural light that pours in all day long. I always think it's important to accentuate a room's strength, and this color does just that for me.
Couch: 399 Euro - IKEA This couch pulls out into a bed AND one side flips up so that you can store stuff underneath. By FAR, the best couch for the money...and here's the other thing, when working with small spaces, I highly recommend buying smaller furniture. This couch was much smaller than others like it and yet offered the same comfort and function. Because of its size, it doesn't overtake the room. The other furniture isn't disproportional.
Chair: 20 Euro - IKEA We found this on sale and liked its mid-century modern potential. We brought it home, bought a can of orange spray paint, and changed its entire look...and added a splash of color to our neutral living room.
Clock: 10 Euro - Little hardware store down the street. It's plastic, but you'd never know that.
TV stand: 65 Euro - IKEA Again, this piece is multi-functional. The bins underneath house whatever a standard family would throw in a closet or a drawer (ie. DVD's, remote controls, books, magazines, art supplies for kids, etc.)
Coffee Table: 19.95 Euro - IKEA I love this coffee table because it has a shelf underneath where I put magazines, books, and photo albums that we like to look at frequently.
Dining Table: 99 Euro - IKEA While once again, this wasn't the table I was in love with, for the money, it has been very good to us. We can get eight people around it if we are desperate, and it slides into a smaller table in the case that we ever wanted to use it for another space.
Dining Room Chairs: 15 Euro- IKEA They match. I'm not crazy about them. But they match. And they were affordable. :)
Pillows: We have several pillows on our couch and in the orange chair. I like the softness, brightness, and pattern that pillows bring to a room. Some of them are cotton and others (my favorites) are down. I don't think you can go too wrong with pillows. It's the one area where I might back down from my "less is more" mantra.




The Green Room (aka our bedroom)
For over a year, our bedroom took the brunt of clutter, as it was in essence a catch all when I wanted to do a fast cleaning before having guests over. It was neglected and barren. And the walls were an awful, depressing not-even-white non-color. I avoided our room, except to sleep, because the ugly walls and awful lighting made me feel like I was living in the Projects. What's sad is that our bedroom is full of natural light and is potentially the warmest room in the house, aesthetically speaking. Recently, I made an impulse purchase while at the store with a friend, helping her pick out paint for her new apartment. I stumbled upon the kind of green I wanted, or at least whatever a three inch square sample could sell me on, and I asked the man behind the counter to mix some 3760 for me.

The paint brought the warmth and relaxation that this room has been dying to offer for the past year. I love to light a candle and sit on my bed to read in the middle of the day. The walls offer a spa-like feel and the light is at its peak and I feel inspired.

Ironically, we do not have a desk in our bedroom...or anywhere in the house for that matter. It felt funny at first to not have an "office" space, and the reality is that the only place we could put it would be our bedroom. But the more I go without a desk, the more I realize how uninviting and full of clutter all of our office spaces in the past have been. I like going to bed without the endless amount of post-it to-do lists posted next to a desk. Besides, the couch and our bed are much easier on my back than is an office chair...at least one we could afford.

Bed: 129 Euro - IKEA We went with an inexpensive bed frame and mattress and invested more money into a memory foam mattress topper and down comforter.
Duvet Cover/Shams: $25 - Target (clearance, marked down from $100)
Side Tables: 22 Euro - IKEA (A little more than I wanted to spend, but my husband really liked them and I really think these add a touch of elegance to the room...and they serve a much-needed purpose, which is always a must in a small space. I love multi-functional, utilitarian furniture.
Chair: 5 Euro - IKEA (as-is)
Bookshelf: 35 Euro
Hanging Lamp: 10 Euro - IKEA (notice that little corner with the paintings? That is Thomas' art studio for now, hence the hanging light).
Plants: 1.99 Euro each - IKEA (Living green things make me happy. I just wish I didn't kill so many of them!)
Pots for plants: 3 Euro each - IKEA

We don't have a closet in our room, just one wardrobe and a dresser. We would like to get another wardrobe, but for now we are forced to utilize the space very carefully and to get rid of clothes that never get worn. Also, we have a coat rack/hooks behind our door, as well as a shoe stand. These are all hidden and out of the way when the door is open.





My husband saw something similar to this in a magazine and so we found the hooks at Ikea (they were a few Euro each) and he used his drill to screw them into the concrete. It's great, especially in the winter, to get the kids' bikes and scooters up off the ground and away from the brutal weather.

My Little Rock Star

Name: Ezra Cash Shophet McEwen
Age: 3 1/2
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Enjoys: Trains, candy, and just about any film that isn't a "gurwee woovee" (a girly movie)
Bio: Completely out of control most of the time. Was bribed with chocolate in order to get these shots. And let's face it. This mother is in love.

Just because I read Brian McClaren does not mean I'm a heretic!

just saying...

It's good to know I'm not alone in the journey God has placed me on. Found this today while searching for online magazines to submit some of my work to. Here's to an ever-changing, culturally relevant church that is reaching people on the fringe.

Read the article HERE

I hate you but I (still) love you...

I love the raw, uninhibited honesty of children.

anticipation

My favorite thing about Autumn is the anticipation that is in the air, falling from the trees, filling my nostrils. I love the changing colors and even those trees who have lost their foliage and have become naked too soon are quickly covered by white lights. In the city, there is a bustling about. The excitement of Christmas fills us all. Too soon, yes. Perhaps for the wrong reasons. But before the snow and before the commercialized red and green, one can't help but blink while taking in the colors that nature has shown off. The juxtaposition of man-made roads covered in yellow and orange and red. The crushing of the leaves beneath my feet while walking to get a cappuccino. The backdrop, on a clear day, of Alps that go for miles. It may not be an Indiana Fall, complete with pumpkin pie and warm family dinners. But for today....for today, it's enough.

How He Loves (part II)

As I was walking around the block this morning, enjoying silence and trying to appreciate the antithesis of the exciting urban environment I ventured about just twenty-four hours ago, in Cincinnati, before returning to a land of huge manicured lawns, four car garages and electric dog fences, I realized that the background of all of my strange thoughts was the song "How He Loves Us." In fact, I find those words coming to me at the most random moments these days. "He is jealous for me...loves like a hurricane, I am the tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy..." And the lyrics drift through my flesh, my soul, my heart and penetrate the desperate parts of me that question His love... the parts of my that aren't afraid to lay it out to Jesus, to drop the f-bomb while screaming, "Why is this life so *%$#-ing hard?"

We had the crazy privelege of being a part of two communities this past weekend. One is on the outskirts of Cincinnati in a pretty rough neighborhood. They meet in an old Catholic Church and it's beautiful in all of its undressed glory. One of the crosses on the top of the building has fallen apart and there was something about this when we first pulled up that made me know that this was just the place for me. The stained glass was old and beautiful and made me long to be back in Italy...in Florence.

The pastor is in his late fifties I'm guessing...and was wearing a pink shirt...and sounded like a former California surfer. He was simple in the way that I like simple. And he interacted with the community as he spoke. The group was small and I'm sure would be looked upon as a failing community by many large churches... but what I saw in the misfit bunch was life, passion, and a pursuance of true Kingdom living.

I found out later that this community was birthed when three families intentionally moved to Norwood, a desolate and seemingly condemned neighborhood. They constantly met to pray and did a prayer walk and asked God for a large piece of property owned by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It was all but given to them for pennies compared to its worth. And they all lived in one house for months until they began buying more properties on the block. I was told they even had a shared purse.

The "church" is comprised of a network of house churches and a gathering in the aforementioned building once a month. They have a coffee shop across from the deteriorating church building where people can meet to do art together, pray together, knit together and so on. And people are pretty open that it's not easy living within a few feet of one another, but the value of friendship, love and accountability outweighs any of it. At one point, as I was sitting outside the building, watching my kids chase each other, an overweight, toothless white man walked up. My senses were heightened as, having lived in Chicago, home of scam artists, I awaited the outcome of our dear friend Laura's interaction with him. She is an Occupational Therapist and works with psych patients and so I figured this was right up her alley.

But what I heard come out of his mouth didn't match his appearance. He opened up to her, sharing that he drank too much the night before. He said he's been trying to get it together and even had a job. Laura encouraged this component and the conversation ensued. He never asked for money, hit on her, or insinuated a self-centered reason for approaching her.

I later found out that he is a part of their home church. This man, familiar with addiction and so willing to admit his faults, is in community. I was challenged by him...by his willingness to be vulnerable. And I was floored at the compassionate and kind response of Laura. She sees value in every human, despite what label modern-day Psychologists have placed on him or her.

Later that evening, after having the privelege of sharing with Laura's home church what we are doing in Italy, we gathered our bags and our tired kids and travelled further into the city, to a neighborhood called "Over the Rhine." I knew we would love it, for our favorite band named themselves after this very district.

Ironically though, the neighborhood is not something off of a CD cover. Its borders house drug deals, abuse, addictions and seemingly orphaned children. One walk to the park had me near tears as I watched two older siblings, responsible for their three year-old brothers, forcing these "babies" to fight. One of the little guys didn't want to fight. I could see he was a peace-maker. His eyes welled up as his brother shouted in his ear, "Hit him back." My heart was breaking. And I wanted to grab him and bring him to safety... but I felt hopeless. Because right next to this scene was another...and another like it. I knew at that moment that the urban nastalgia of a neighborhood with a cool name like "Over the Rhine" wouldn't last a day if it weren't for people heeding God's call in their lives that He wanted them there for such a time as this.

They say Cincinnati has the most amount of racially segregated neighborhoods in the country. And I felt it as we walked through a few different communities. At one point, in broad daylight mind you (meaning that mom, if you are reading this, no need to freak out), a man started following Liz and I, along with our kids. He talked and talked, opening up the conversation on a heavy note: "I just got out of prison..."

I didn't know what to say as I was just waiting for him to get to his line that usually goes something like "I went to Harvard. I just fell on hard times. I almost got drafted for the NBA and I know Michael Jordan.... Hey, can I ask you a question? I am wanting to get to Chicago for a job conference and I don't have money for the train... it's fifty bucks to get there...."

Can you sense I'm a little jaded? I would like to say I have been ignorant or patient enough to hear them all... but just when I say that, I find myself sucked into someone's story and handing them a couple of bucks.

So anyway...the guy never got to that part. And I don't really think he was heading there. I mean, you don't normally start off asking for money by mentioning your bail. Just when I was getting nervous, he found some "friends" and stopped to chat. I had the feeling though that he wasn't going to go past "his" block. That is the feel of the city. People know their "place" and stay there.

And yet, that evening, during a house concert at Liz and John's house, serenely nestled and juxtaposed in the ghetto of sorts, after listening to Liz sing these amazing poetic and heart-entrancing songs, we met some other couples who were also living in the neighborhood. These couples all had something way beyond themselves living just beneath their smiles. They all had moved to this area, very intentionally, and like us in terms of Torino, pictured a garden in the desert. One woman, after I had shared about my park experience, said, "I can't make a difference with all of them. But I can love on one."

Ahhhh. Hope alas.

I left Cincinnati with gut-filled peace, the kind you can't fake or forge...the kind that is only found when I'm surrounded by people who are living out community and usher me in, not because of what I do but because of the same Spirit we have within. It was love in its raw and freeing form, like the ocean at sunrise. Like a child dancing. Like Laura's compassion...Liz's voice.

Still, the words from "How He Loves" are drifting through my being. I have so many questions...so many worries and obsessions and lalalala... but those words, like the feeling I drove out of Cincinnati with just last night, wash my insides...and "I don't have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way....

"He loves us.... Oh how he loves us. How he loves us so...."

How He Loves

I have been thinking and thinking about Mary Magdalene lately. Thinking about she and Jesus…about how he loved her. About how her presence made him feel. About the special bond, that although perverted by modern-day scholars, gives us a glimpse into the flesh of Jesus, as her name floats in and out of the Gospels, like a pale colored butterfly, blending with the sky, tempting us not to notice, and yet drawn to her by her restrained and delicate scent.

My teacher tells me the heart is so big. So big that if we allowed it to feel the many kinds of love that it is able to feel, it may explode. And as I’ve been reading about those African men, namely Bishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa out of the apartheid, I keep thinking about that kind of love. The kind of love that revolutionizes people’s hearts and ends civil wars. The kind of love that stands in between enemies, risking its life, in order to demonstrate its power, its pervasive kindness and its gravitational pull to Father God’s heart.

As I lay in bed tonight, rubbing my little sister’s back and holding her, I kept thinking about all that we as humans miss out on out of fear. My stream of consciousness flickered about, like a movie, seeing the faces of those people I love in my mind, as I spoke aloud to my sister, trying to make sense of the heartache she was feeling from a failed relationship. And as it so often does, my thoughts took me to the tender, vulnerable parts of my heart where the image of my father still remains. I have tried to push those parts away, have tried to bury them, psycho-analyze them, mend them…and yet there the broken pieces of our relationship rest on the mantle of my mind, like a vase that is waiting to be glued together so that it can function once again. I am familiar with this broken vessel but I am never sure I want to sort through the glass, as the pieces are sharp and I always end up with eyes full of suppressed tears.

It was no different tonight. Holding my sister, I felt one tear slide slowly down my cheek and land in her hair. And then another. I swallowed hard. I didn’t want this moment to become about me. After all, I am twelve years older than my sister. And this was her moment. She needed me.

I spoke one phrase: “I don’t know why I always start to cry whenever I talk about dad…” and then I lost it. The tears came out of a familiar component of my heart and they always feel the same. The release of the emotions and the sorrow over the loss, or perhaps the non-existence, of a relationship united again like summer and winter, assuring me that there is much unresolved. I continued to fight the tears, all the while allowing my baby sister to love on me, to hold me and speak life into me.

And I received. Perhaps one of the powerful elements of love.

And she gave. And she kissed my dreadlock-covered forehead and told me how much she loved me. How much her dad loved me.

We talked about the differences in our earthly father’s love toward his girls and I talked about how I fear rejection from him and how even though I try so desperately to keep my dad at a safe distance from my heart, there is always this lingering pain any time I realize how much I still need a daddy.

And I know that Father God is referred to as Abba. But like my husband says, “Sometimes we just need Jesus with skin on.” And on occasion it just seems natural that this flesh-covered spirit would come in the form of my earthly father.

And I do have hope that someday it will…on either side of eternity.

In the meantime, I pray to love well. To be loved well. To understand the danger of loving and embrace it, for it is the power of God in motion. I should not find it ironic that this same sweet sister, while hurting herself, was able to comfort me in an unexpected moment of angst this night. Her pain makes her real. And enables her to love deeply. And I should not think it ironic that she will get a tattoo on her wrist tomorrow, a constant reminder, of this deep love. It will read:

“How He loves.”

And that is really the bottom line. He loves us so deeply, so madly, so dangerously and without boundaries or borders, despite our inward and outward crap.

Oh that I would love how He loves us…

And receive love because

He loves us.