Shooting for the Stars...

{HEARTFELT LONG POST ALERT}

One of my favorite parables from the Bible to read over and over again is ‘The Parable of Talents’ from the book of Matthew in Chapter 25. As a Christian and naturally curious and introspective human being, I am constantly pondering the meaning of life and to what extent I am bringing value to the life I’ve been given.

It is when reading this parable that I grasp the sense of “life purpose” clarity I often desire. In short, this parable serves to remind me and anyone who reads it that as Christians we are given a certain number of unique gifts (talents) and opportunities to serve God in our everyday lives, in our careers, in our relationships, etc.. And we can either choose to waste those opportunities or INVEST them in a way that furthers the kingdom.

With that belief stirring up something in our souls, Juston and I are thrilled to share with you our next venture and passion project that we conveniently dubbed: Dosser Design & Decor. If you have stumbled upon our projects on your social media feeds or followed us via our Life of Two Texans blog, you are well aware of our serious love/small addiction for creating, renovating, decorating, and all similar synonyms pertaining to making a house a home. To us, loving where you live is everything. It’s your safe-haven.

Home is where we live, love, laugh, celebrate, dream, pray, play, gather, heal, and grow.
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” - Maya Angelou

It is through Dosser Design & Decor that we want to use what we believe to be our God-given talents to help inspire others to fall in love with making their house a home. We hope to expand on our original blog idea by launching a website that serves as an outlet to share our Do-It-Yourself Projects, Custom Furniture Design, Repurposing, Renovations, and Hand Selected Home Decor finds. Additionally, we would love to also supplement our site with devotions, scriptures, and praise.

All of this was prompted and encouraged by ‘The Parable of Talents’ I mentioned in the beginning of this post. We have a long way to go in all of this as we are still in the planning process of what this venture will fully involve. But, we were certain of one thing. We had to do it. We had to put action behind our words and manifest our purpose. We had to step out in faith. As husband and wife, we share a passion for renovating, decorating, and breathing life into a home. Our passions are no coincidence. Dreaming, creating, and taking on new adventures in life is what makes us feel alive. We had to take the leap. God has placed these interests on our hearts and provided us the talent and ability to complete them. This ability is his gift to us, and in this New Year, we want to honor God by using our abilities to bless, serve, and connect with others.

In that same spirit, we have also secured a retail location that will serve as a place to share and sell some of our handmade furniture and home decor items beginning in February of 2015. We would be blessed to have you join us in our journey and invite you to “Like” our new page:

https://www.facebook.com/…/Dosser-Design-De…/719788514756781

Sending love and good vibes to you all in 2015! May we each be brave and open our hearts to new adventures and opportunities!

XOXO,
Marissa & Juston
Joshua 24:15 

Holiday Home Tour

Howdy, Y'all!

We are the Dosser Family (Marissa & Juston) and this is our very first Holiday House Tour and Link Party to be participating in. We are so appreciative to Jennifer Rizzo for offering such a platform party and we genuinely appreciated any tour views we may get from this connection.

Serving as both a disclaimer and introduction of sorts, both my husband and I are NEWBIES when it comes to home blogging. I have always enjoyed blogging and chronicling our life and travels, but it wasn't until recently (after becoming newlyweds and purchasing our first home) did the idea of chronicling our restoration/fix up/DIY attempts surface.

Since moving into our 1980 humble abode in September of 2013, we have completed multiple DIY projects and renovations that have greatly improved our home both aesthetically and structurally. But as I mentioned, this whole home-related blogging is new territory for us and wrangling up the deets on all of our projects and taking quality pictures will take time (did I mention we are newbies?) Haha

All of that to say, we ask that you please have mercy on our less-than-stellar photography skills, grainy photos, and lack of adequate natural lighting in our home. Like everyone else, we are a work in progress and so is our home.

But seriously, if I haven't already lost you by now, I will stop rambling and let the tour commence :)

Our Living Room & Guest Bathroom Touches:

Living Room  touches featuring our DIY TV Console Table:

I love burlap, creams, and neutral palettes 

(Pssss...Those snowflake ornaments were $1.50 from Walmart - A steal!)

 Christmas tree and a peek at our DIY Rustic Ladder:

 Small Guest Bathroom with our DIY Rustic Ladder:

DIY Planter Box for Dining Room Table & DIY Deer Mount:

Our Master Bedroom with Burlap Runner, Mini Christmas Trees, and our DIY Distressed Headboard (seeing a trend here?)

Front Door Entryway View & Entry Table Decor:

 Kitchen Touches with Distressed Pantry Door

Cocoa bar touches set up on our Dining Room Buffet Table:

 Merry Christmas Y'all!

Thanks for peeping & Happy Decorating :)

26 Lessons I've Learned from 26 Years of Living.

1. Show ridiculous amounts of Gratitude. It changes EVERYTHING, I promise.
2. Coffee is a non-negotiable. It must be consumed and cherished every morning.
3. Invest in yourself. Be a student of Life. Learn something new every day. 
4. Love is the supreme expression of life, it is the essence and ground of all creation.
5. Time is worth more than money. Create your life accordingly.
6. There’s power in knowing and trusting that with the help of God you can handle anything –whatever outcome
7. "If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great." - Tom Hanks
8. Don’t be afraid to put your ego aside and admit when you’re wrong.
9. Remember what your mother taught you - always.
10. Learn to let go of the “pursuit of perfect”
11. Doing the dishes regularly causes lower back pain. Go out to dinner more often.
12. Not every responsibility is your responsibility. Recognizing that will liberate your life.
13. It takes just as much effort to think small as it does to THINK BIG.
14. Giving praise to others doesn’t take away from your accomplishments or contributions.
15. Stand for who you are and what you want to attract.
16. Be curious. Be creative. Be imaginative. Push the limits. Do what you want. Go after it.
17. Your body is a temple that houses your spirit. Be good to it and take care of it.
18. But also be naughty every once in a while and have the Hot Cheetos or the Cupcake :)
19. Team efforts accomplish way more than doing things alone. When we are inclusive, supportive, and build each other up, we will win. Every single time.
20. Own your expertise and stop waiting for validation from others.
21. Be inquisitive. Ask people about themselves, what they do and why they do it. Every person we come in contact with has something to teach us.
22. Bad things happen to good people. Let GO and Let GOD.
23. Be authentically you, and don’t worry about those who don’t “get it.”
24. Remember the ‘Parable of Talents’ from the Bible. Take what you're good at and use your talents to create things that the world would otherwise not have. That's why you are here. Because you can do something that no one else can.
25. Surround yourself with possibility people.
26. Every moment of your existence, continue to strive for deeper meaning and self-discovery

Halloween Party on a Budget

Need A Ladder?

If you're like me, you've been on the hunt for quite some time now for the perfect antique ladder to grace a corner of your home in order to display your Nana's handmade quilts, or hold the towels in your small guess bathroom. And again, if you're like me, your patience for finding this item in stores has worn plum thin.

So, what do I do when I can't find something I'm looking for? I get resourceful, creative, and then mock up plans for my husband to build something (With my help, direction, and a tiny dose of bossiness) He knows I mean well ;)

Anyway, this DIY Ladder Plan is especially awesome because it is probably the quickest and easiest project we have EVER DONE. You like saving time and money don't ya? Well, here ya go:

Supply List:
(2) - 2 x 4
(1) - Square Dowel Rod
(1) - Can of Stain of Choice (we use Dark Walnut)
(1) - Paintbrush
Screws
Automatic Drill

SO EASY....ARE YOU READY?

Instructions:
1. Stain Boards

2. Cut to Desired Lengths/Height (We have a 6 ft and 8 ft ladder, with dowels about 1.5 ft long)

3. Measure out distance of dowels away from one another (depending on how many you want)

4. Assemble by screwing dowels into 2 x 4 board on either side

5. Check the clock to see how quickly you finished your project, then find the perfect spot in your house for it!

Best Day Ever - Wedding Pictures - June 28, 2014