Today, I’ve got a follow up to yesterday’s post about how dispelling lies has helped me reclaim my life and walk out of a long-term struggle against depression and anxiety. In addition to identifying lies and taking the time to properly address them, I’ve also learned that sometimes it takes a hard season to find them at all.
Before we get to that, I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who comes to do life together. Who reads and shares and takes a moment to tell me when something hits home for you. I am humbled, and affirmed by the reaction I got to yesterday’s post about lies. Sometimes I get nervous about posting something vulnerable–something that can make me look like a goon. Admitting to anyone on the Internet who cares to click a link that I’ve struggled with lies was intimidating for me.
So, thanks for being cool. Now back to the topic at hand.
Drafts and Lies
Let’s go back to the analogy I drew yesterday, between cold drafts coming into my house and lies coming into my life. (If you missed it, you can read it here.)
I gave a nice list of how lies are sneaky like cold air drafts that were finding lots of ways into my home. The affects of the cold air stretched much farther than my heating bill. The furnace worked overtime, to no avail–the rooms were still cold. I couldn’t sleep at night, which left me tired and cranky during the day, which in turn took its toll on my patience with Gideon.
Lies are the same. Their affects reach far beyond just the singular truth they’ve obscured. Lies can become devastating.
The Cold Snap
I was so glad when the draft problem was noticeably better. I was happy to have found the sources of cold air coming in, and happy to have a solution.
Even more than that, I was happy it happened when it did. I was grateful for the early October cold snap that made my problem clear. It was a perfect trial-run of how Acorn House will truly perform through the winter. The draft problem was revealed during a short stretch of 20˚ days.If it had happened when the windchill was -40˚, that would have been much, much worse.
Before I go any farther, please know that I’m not here to explain why bad things happen. I’m not opening a discussion on why bad things happen to “good” people. I’m not even going to say that “everything happens for a reason.”
The truth is, bad things happen. Hard circumstances face fun, loving, kind, good-hearted people all the time. Many of the hardest circumstances I’ve faced have come into my life unannounced, with little warning, and at no fault of my own. I had no control over their timing or the scope of pain they’d leave in their wake.
I can’t tell you why these things happen and I won’t offer you a solution. But I can assure you that God–the God of the Bible–is working to set all things right (see Ps 103:10-18). I can assure you that God is kind. He is almighty and able to redeem any circumstance. He is able to create beauty and life from dirt and death. Remember, He made man out of dirt in the garden. Also, Jesus’ gruesome death on the cross opened a sweet, full-access path to God, gives us eternal life and the Holy Spirit.
Those in Christ can always trust that God can and will create something worthwhile out of any ugliness we hand over to Him.
My Lie Problem
Which brings me back to lies.
When I realized I had a “lie problem” in my life I was in the midst of a mental crisis. I can’t pinpoint the exact cause. A surgery that didn’t go as planned; Chronic pain; Spiritual warfare; A major life change. These and other unwelcome circumstances added up to a depression and anxiety storm like I’ve never seen before in my life.
In counseling I realized that lies were major contributors to the poor state of my mental health. As I untangled the lies from the truth I found healing that I didn’t know was possible. I left the cycle of anxiety and low-self-worth that had plagued me for years.
Now, looking back I can see that I may never have gotten to the root of my problems, had it not been for the terrible circumstances in that season. When I turned that awful season over to God, He propelled me into a new phase of life. And it’s far better than the “good life” I had before.
Drafts Aren’t A Problem In Summer
Just like it takes a cold snap to find drafts, it may take a hard season to find lies that have been sneaking into your mind. You know when the drafts in my house didn’t bother me at all? Summer. When the days were 70˚ and sunny I didn’t notice extra air coming in at all. You know when the lies didn’t bother me so much? When everything was stable and good.
When things got rocky it was obvious there was a problem. Metaphorically, my foundation was fine, but my structure had air leaks that were causing my home to be miserable. My Salvation was secure, but the lies had come in and I was not living the abundant, joy-filled life Jesus wanted to give me.
We cannot control the circumstances that come into our sphere. But we can control our thoughts. We can be intentional about turning our eyes to the Redeemer of all things, allowing Him to create something positive out of a mess. We can be intentional about what we allow to manifest in our mind and hearts.
Hard times are…hard. But our God never leaves us alone, and He truly is working for the good of those who love Him.
Do you know anything about drafts? Not military drafts, or drafts of a paper. I’m talking the icy cold drafts that sneak into your home through even the tiniest gap. I do. I know more than I’d care to. Stopping drafts was my first major project here at Acorn House. In the midst of stopping up all those drafts, God started speaking to me about lies. In my heart I could feel Him reminding me of how sneaky, joy-sapping and detrimental lies are, and reminding me of how dispelling lies helped me reclaim my life. So today, I’m going to tell you a little about my journey with lies and drafts.
The first truly cold night in Acorn House was awful. In my room, under all the blankets I had in the house I was a block of ice. My face was cold. My nose was running. Yes, running like I was outside. In the hall, I could feel a cold breeze blowing from Gideon’s room. We barely slept that night. The next day I was miserable, but determined to find the source of the drafts and fix the issue.
The problem with drafts is this: they are invisible and unnoticeable until things get uncomfortable.
In our bedrooms I discovered that the windows hadn’t been insulated. Large gaps behind the trim was letting cold air pour in. A breeze was coming in from a gap behind the baseboard. A floor vent cover wasn’t actually covering a vent–just a hole to the icy basement, letting cold air up into the room. Then I found that the dryer vent had no cover on it. There was just an open tube letting cold air into my room.
When I saw the scope of the problem, I was overwhelmed.
The drafts were making us miserable. But there were so many to find and fix–I didn’t know how I’d ever get it all done.
For big drafts I used my hand to feel for air flow. For the sneakier wisps of air coming in, I used a lighter as a guide. I ran the flame along windows, doors and baseboards. The flame would flicker (or in some cases blow out) when I reached the source of a draft. I filled small gaps with caulk. Big gaps needed to be filled with foam gap filler–the kind that expands to fill the gap and kind of looks like yellow ice cream.
One by one I sealed the gaps. The house stayed warmer. It became livable. The problem isn’t totally fixed, it’s an ongoing process.
But I told you I was going to talk about lies. So let me get to the point.
Somewhere in the middle of my third can of gap-filler God laid some thoughts about lies on my heart. I don’t consider myself particularly gullible, but I’ve believed a lot of lies in my life. Big, important lies. The kind that wreak havoc on your mind, heart and spirit.
Whenever I talk to someone about my experience walking through depression and anxiety, I point to identifying and dispelling lies as the thing that brought me the most healing. In fact, I’d say dispelling lies that I had believed saved my life. Lies were the root of my problem. I needed to take measures to seal up my life against the lies I had believed.
In fact, lies are the root of a lot of problems.
Satan is called the “father of lies.” He is a liar and deceiver. The first sin he ever enticed anyone into was telling a lie.
Lies will make our lives uncomfortable.
Maybe not at first. But eventually, our lives will be uncomfortable (maybe even unlivable) as result of the lies we believe.
Lies are often invisible.
We may feel something is wrong. We might be able to sense it. But like drafts, lies are invisible. We cannot simply detect them with our eyes. They come into our minds, hearts and home in the sneakiest ways. Some are obvious (gaps around windows and doors.) Some are harder to see (remember, in some cases I needed to remove window trim and baseboards to find the source of a draft to fix.)
Big, glaring lies are easy to feel while small, tricky tweaks-of-the-truth may need a guide to find their source.
Lies can be overwhelming.
In our fallen world lies are all around us. The more lies we believe, the more confused we get…making us susceptible to believing even more lies. Just like the drafts blowing into my house, sometimes it seems like the air around me is saturated with lies.
Once I began uncovering lies in my own life I became overwhelmed by the amount of lies surrounding me, vying for my belief and attention. Lies, like drafts, can be addressed. Find them and eliminate them one at a time.
Lies can be identified
I love the image of using a lighter to detect a draft. So often the Bible talks about light–the antithesis of the darkness.
Just as a lighter can be used to find the source of a draft, the lights God gives us can help us find lies in our own lives.
Jesus is the Light of the World–anyone in Him will not remain in darkness. John 12:46 (His Truth will dispel lies and darkness. Come to Him and ask Him to reveal the lies that wreaking havoc in your life.)
God’s Word is a lamp for our path, Psalm 119:105. (In biblical times a lamp would have had an open flame. God’s truth is a perfect way to detect the source of lies. Hold the lamp of His Word up to your path, this flame will never extinguish, but lies may try to blow it out.)
Believers are the light, Matthew 5:14-16. (A trusted mentor of friend in the body of Christ can help identify lies and replace them with Truth.)
Lies can be dispelled.
Lies hold no power of their own. Their power lies (no pun intended) in the power we perceive them to have. Once we identify a lie and name it as a lie–its power starts to wane. But the true problem isn’t solved yet. Identifying the source of a draft didn’t make my house any warmer.
A draft needs to be filled or fixed, a lie must be replaced by the truth. If a the void left behind from an identified lie isn’t filled with truth, another lie can easily take its place.
The truth may take a while to believe.
Like I told you, I’ve believed a lot of lies. And I’d love to say that I quickly identified them, found God’s Truth, replaced the lie and lived happily ever after.
Sometimes it really is that easy.
But the lies that do the most damage are often hidden, well engrained, and require some time. These lies are like the big gaps behind my baseboards. First I had to do a little deconstructing to identify them. Next I used gap-filler. Then I had to wait for the filler to expand. In some cases I needed to go back over it a second time. With diligence, eventually the cold air stopped coming in.
Sometimes we need to hear the truth over and over before we believe it. When we feel the lie coming back in, we need to restate the truth, to add another layer.
I got annoyed, when I was in counseling for not changing fast enough. For continuing to fall into the same lies over and over. My counselor assured me things would change. Those thought patterns, believing those lies–that was my normal, natural way of thinking. If we consciously, intentionally speak truth over lies we’ve identified, the Truth will become our new normal, natural thought pattern. Just like the draft problem at the House, fighting lies is (and will be) an ongoing battle.
I don’t know if this is resonating with anyone. I hope so. If you are struggling–please know that you aren’t alone. I’ve been there. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t have a few lies they needed to dispel. You can do it. Don’t be hard on yourself, but do be intentional. Do be diligent. The lies that are causing your life to be cold, uncomfortable and unenjoyable can be replaced with truth. If I can do it, anyone can.
(PS– When I was unearthing lies in my life, this book was given to me by a friend. I cannot recommend it highly enough!)
Well everybody. Today is the day. I’m bringing you a “Before Tour” of Acorn house. Yes, you read it right. I’ve named my house. Henceforth we’ll be calling it Acorn House. I thought it needed a name and the squirrel seems to be this house’s guardian. And nemesis. Rolled into one.
Not to mention, acorns rain down in the yard. I hauled off literally more than 400 lbs of acorns from the driveway and yard shortly after moving in. (No, that’s not an exaggeration.)
To be totally transparent, I have been wanting to get this posted for a while. I took these great, wide angle photographs of the house before we had closed. Then last week when I sat down to start sorting them into a tour for you, my external hard drive became inaccessible on my computer. The drive is now at the doctor (AKA data recovery place). Calling to check its progress really scares me. Imagining that all my photos are gone turns my blood to ice.
However, to get my mind off of the fact that all my gorgeous images from years past (that I never took the time to print or organize into books) may be gone–I took new photos. And organized them to share with you here.
Without further rambling, let’s just get to it. I didn’t number photos in collages, but any comments will be from top to bottom, left to right. Oh–and if you have Instagram, you should totally follow me there. I share stories from the house, things I find, and there is a video house tour saved to highlights. Let’s be friends!
The First Floor
Living Room
The 2011 flood damaged the first floor. After the flood, the owner’s (an elderly woman) family was anxious to get her back into her house as quickly as possible. Repairs were made in haste–and in some cases were not made well. Everything here is builder-grade and inexpensive. That’s okay, though! I’d rather rework something that wasn’t done well, than overhaul good work done in poor taste.
Our goal is to reimagine the historic elements that probably once graced this house and make better use of its square footage. It’s an elegant house, but right now looks very dull.
One of my favorite things about Acorn House is the HIGH ceilings. I have never lived in a house with such beautiful, tall rooms. The entryway is small, but lofty just like the rest of the rooms, and it features vintage privacy glass and original brickwork.
Inside the front entryway is a long, narrow living room. This is presenting some interesting challenges. The fireplace has been rebricked and currently houses an electric fireplace. Jury is out on whether the chimney is safe to use this winter. Oh, and did I mention I didn’t stage these photos. You’ll have to excuse the toys, and random bits. We live here.
Dining Room and Kitchen
Beyond the living room, an arched wall opens to the dining area. From there a relativly small door opening goes into a very boxed-off kitchen. Another door leads back to the bathroom and first floor bedrooms.
The kitchen is a decent size, but the space is poorly used. Not to mention anyone in the kitchen is completely excluded from all the fun happening elsewhere on the first floor. We plan to make use of the high ceilings by adding floor to ceiling cabinets. And I have dreams (maybe I should use the word “schemes”) in my head for making the kitchen more inclusive and less trap-like.
Bathroom and Hall
Currently we only have one functioning bathroom. This gem on the first floor. It was retiled after the flood. However, a lot of settling has happened and most of the floor tile is loose. A plumbing issue left the vanity moldy and warped. Needless to say that will be going away soon. I should also note that the vanity is unusually low. Like, so low my mom commented on it, and she is 5’1″.
Back by the bathroom there’s an awkward, wide hallway, and a linen closet (not pictured.) I’m still brainstorming how to give this an increase in functionality.
Bedrooms
The main floor has two bedrooms. Someday I’ll get blackout curtains, but until that day arrives, we’ve got these comforters (left behind in the house) hanging from nails (already there) over the windows. It was meant to be.
The current master bedroom doubles as a laundry room. At first I thought I’d hate this, but there are some perks. First, no need for a hamper because I just deposit dirty clothes right into the washer. Second, it smells really nice. Third, no trips up and down stairs with hampers.
On the not so nice side of things, these rooms are very drafty. And I do mean very. I spent a week and multiple cans of crack filler and caulk staunching the flow of icy air into our rooms. But I’ll have to tell you about that another time. Long story short, they’re getting better. Our next cold snap will be the real test!
The Second Floor
Stairs and Bedroom
The second floor of the house was converted into an apartment in the 50’s or 60’s. Lots of the original character is intact, and will serve as a starting point for restoring the first floor.
I love the light that comes in upstairs. It’s pretty any time of day. The wide hallway is unusual in an old house, and a great feature. We’ll be returning this to a single family home and have plans to create a master bedroom and very nice bathroom up here.
Future Master Bedroom
This room will likely become the master bedroom. It will require reworking to make a better closet and access to the bathroom.
Bedroom and Bathroom
The third bedroom upstairs has an adorable built in wardrobe, which we will keep. The wallpaper, which is stapled up, will go.
The bathroom upstairs is completely defunct. The water is completely off because the toilet is held together with tape and the sink is falling off the wall. The inside of the shower surround has been textured with drywall compound (don’t ask me why), and the tub is uniquely petite. This will all go.
The bathroom also houses one of the most greatest curiosities of Acorn House: a door mural. Many have come to marvel at the very odd, yet detailed scene on one panel of the door. Lots of people (who do not live here) are petitioning me to keep it. I smile and nod, but I’m making no promises.
Kitchen
Lastly, we’ve got the second kitchen. If you follow on Instagram you know we wrangled the vintage appliances out of here in preparation for the second floor remodel. I’ve since started dismantling other items as well–in an effort to salvage any vintage hardware worth keeping and reusing.
Our plan is to live on the first floor, even though it isn’t particularly pretty, while we renovate the second floor. Then we’ll switch places.
I cannot wait to roll out some after photos, but we are still a long way off. First we need to address the less beautiful things. Things like the roof (don’t even get me started), the garage, drafts, cracks, and a vast array of exterior tidbits that need to be winterized.
I wish you could all come over for coffee and project time–but for now we’ll just have to settle for sharing photos and virtual lattes. Thanks for stopping by–more to come.
Today I’m excited to be sharing how to make a DIY busy board along with 50 busy board ideas!
I really like making toys for kids. Before Gideon was born I had a little more disposable time and was able to make some super cool things for the little in my life. Now, I’m a little more pressed for time, but I still really like making things for my guy to enjoy.
Hopefully in the near future I’ll sit down and make him something really fun and elaborate. But that hasn’t happened quite yet.
One of the most-used and most-loved homemade toys I’ve created for him has been his busy board. It’s really nothing too exciting to look at, but I’m sharing it here because it is ever-evolving (it has grown with him), cheap, fun to make, and super fast to put together.
I started this busy board for Gideon when he was about 4 months old. At that time we were working on tummy time. This was something he could look at and play with on the floor, or could be in front of him while propped up on the Boppy. He loved it then. He loves it now. And a friend’s 3-year-old was recently here and she exclaimed, “I want one of these for my birthday.” It’s truly a gem for all ages, and it’s easy to make and update!
I often put the board on his high chair tray while I’m getting his meal prepped. This gives him something to do and buys me a couple extra minutes.
Build A DIY Busy Board
Here’s what you’ll need to create a busy board of your own.
Scrap of wood
Hardware knick knacks
That’s it! Honestly, you probably have everything you need already laying around the house.
I used a scrap of 1″ pine we had in the basement left over from our Master Bedroom Remodel. A quick sanding and wipe with a damp rag made it clean and clear of any splinters.
Then I gathered up mismatched hardware pieces and screwed them in. For the very first version of the board I attached several cabinet handles with interesting shapes, a piece of sandpaper, a chain, etc. Mostly just things to feel and see since his motor skills were very basic. Bang! Done.
Now, if you look at Pinterest you can easily become overwhelmed by elaborate busy boards. Those are great and super cute–but your baby isn’t going to care much about the boards aesthetics. At least, not when they are still learning to hold their head up, crawl, and walk.
Here is the most beautiful part of a very simple board like this: you can easily change and modify it as frequently as you like! Since it is just a scrap piece of wood, you can take things off and make new holes and have no regrets.
How To Update A DIY Busy Board
Here is my busy board “work flow.”
After a couple months your child will make it pretty obvious which items he is still loving and which items he is over. I remove items that have lost their luster and replace them with new things we’ve picked up at Menard’s or the Habitat ReStore. I try to reuse screw holes if I can. If not, I try to place the new item over the existing hole just to cover it up. If that doesn’t work, I simply give the old hole a quick sand to smooth out splinters and drill a new hole.
To give you an idea of how gradually I change the board, here is a photo prior to our most recent update. The board included a slide lock, stretchy key chain, strap hinges, a static door handle, press light, handle, caster, and u-bolt with a faucet line zip-tied to it. (It looks weird, but he really liked it.)
And here is our current board. I left the caster wheel, hinges, light and red key-chain. (That is one of his FAVORITES and has been on here since I first made the board.) I added a hinged lock, hinged door stop, towel ring and two door stop springs. (These are the new favorite…boiiinnnngggg!) I’ve got carabiners that I clip on to various parts of the board. In this photo it’s hooked onto one of the strap hinges.
I’ve also found that adding zip-ties to existing hardware is a super quick way to add a little extra interest. Adding a few to this handle gave it more texture and things to spin.
It’s so fun and picking out new items is something I look forward to doing with Gideon. We wander the hardware aisles and I let him hold things and see what sparks his interest–then buy a few and add them. This is a great project for an overwhelmed mom…or would be a great gift for an overwhelmed mom!
50 Ideas For Your Busy Board
The possibilities are endless, but here is a big ol’ list of 50 ideas of simple things to put on your DIY busy board to get started. Keep in mind that not all items are appropriate for all ages and kids should always be supervised while playing with a board…just in case a small piece should come off.
drawer handles
hinged handles
door knocker
knobs of all shapes and sizes
hose spigot knob
static door knobs and handles
turnable door knobs and handles
door hinges
cabinet hinges
strap hinges
piano hinges
slide locks
chain locks
combination locks of all kinds
lock with a key (I would attach the key with a string so it doesn’t get lost)
coiled key chain (like mine above)
retractable name tag
sand paper or textured fabrics/ribbons
closet push light
battery operated light switches
battery operated door bell
toggle switches
dimmer dials
bike safety light
chain
pulley
wheels or casters (I painted white stripes on mine to help Gideon see it move)
latches of all kinds
velcro
toilet paper holder
towel ring
bungee cords (without the metal hook ends)
U-bolts (these are fun to put extra pieces on, like nuts, washers, curtain rings, etc)
mirror
zippers
use carabiners to attach measuring spoons, keys, bells, paintbrushes, etc
sponges
M-F pill box
a land line phone
reflectors
pet collar
belt buckle
toys that squeak
house numbers
Gears
silicone hot pads
an old thermostat dial
faucets and handles
pieces of hose, water line or other flexible tubing
I am so excited to be showing you my finished master suite tonight!! Seriously, basically anyone who has come into my house lately has been invited upstairs to check it out because it’s been something we’ve been working on and I’ve been talking (and complaining) about for a few months.
I could gush all night, but I’ll let the photos do most of the talking for me. I’ll say this though. Since having a bathroom right in my bedroom I’ve gotten up every morning and wanted to do my hair and make up. Just because I like spending time in there. Crazy, I know. And I make my bed every morning and keep it all nice and tidy (for the most part). We’ll see how long that lasts. Well…without further ado, here’s a full look at the before and after!
So…it wasn’t just the bathroom that got added and overhauled. We wanted to spruce up the whole space. Here’s a look at our sleeping area in progress.
What happened here?
I stained the wood to be cohesive with the rest of the house.
Updated the globes on the sconces. And by updated…I mean I took away the trendy yellow globes and replaces them with vintage milk glass globes to match the feel and age of the house.
After lots of hard decisions…I painted–obviously.
With cast off supplies from the Habitat ReStore I built a headboard. When the curtains are rehung they’ll tuck in behind it so we can close the curtains without sacrificing our ability to have the window wide open during the day.
We rearranged the furniture–after some walls were moved and closets were sealed up.
And I went stain crazy by refinishing the top of our hamper (an estate auction find) to match the other woodwork.
Next up let’s look at the bathroom.
I hope the way I formatted the photos makes sense. I started with the pretty and worked backwards. If you like it (or not) let me know in the comments. These photos show where the bathroom now sits. those corner closets are now our shower!
What happened here?
Our closets were removed to make room for the new bathroom.
Plumbing was run up for toilet, sink and shower.
Electical outlets were added, as were can lights, two bar lights–hanging on either side of the medicine cabinet, switches, and a vent fan.
A supply duct was rerouted.
We tore apart an old vanity from the ReStore and rebuilt it into a custom piece.
The shower–a 42×48″ masterpiece with TWO shower heads!
The paint
Sheet vinyl flooring
Some new walls and a lot of corrective mudding on the existing walls
And everything else that goes with making a brand new bathroom
Okay, shifting to the side we’ll look at the sitting area/nursery. I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a little sitting area in the master bedroom. We kind of had one before…but it mostly housed my sewing machine and collected those only-worn-once clothes that aren’t quite ready for the hamper.
When friends of ours moved into a new house and set up a precious sitting space in their room my yearning for one of my own was rekindled. So once we started renovating, I knew a sitting space was on the list of things I wanted for sure. This will be especially nice since it’s near our “nursery.” Derek and I have already enjoyed sitting there and chatting in the sunlight–and I’m sure we’ll soon enjoy late night rockings and feedings there by moonlight.
What happened here?
New windows!! They eliminated the need for the ancient, leaky AC unit in the window.
I sanded and restained all the woodwork and built ins with PolyShades.
We swapped out the table for a crib and once an old closet was replaced by bathroom walls we had room to move the big dresser over toward the bed. (It’ll serve as our changing table.)
I removed the glass sliding doors covering the shelves to make that storage space more accessible.
Since Derek’s schedule is always changing an sometimes requires sleeping through the day, we traded the slat blinds for blackout curtains.
Sconce globes were replaced with something more age appropriate for the house.
The eyesore fluorescent light was covered up with a cover I built from pieces of molding and a panel of drop ceiling.
The space was painted.
We furnished this area mostly with items we already had on hand. They were things we likes and had stored in the basement because we didn’t have use for them until we finished the bedroom.
The end table is a hand-me-down from Derek’s grandmother’s estate.
I bought the orange chair from Salvation Army for a project I did over the summer…but it didn’t end up staying, so I brought it home. (There’s something undeniably awesome about it.) They yellow recliner was purchased from the St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store specifically for this space. It’s really hard for us to purchase new furniture…because those items tend to stick out like a sore thumb in our home. Maybe someday I’ll upholster the two chairs to match…but not quite yet.
The crib–which is the coolest thing ever–was my grandfather’s when he was a baby in 1936. I’m so honored to have it in my home.
The lamp I’ve had since college.
The night light was my mom’s. Again…I’m so blessed to be able to incorporate such special items into my child’s space.
The nursery scale is something I bought while living in Minot at a vintage fair. I used to use it in newborn photo sessions and it’s way too cute to leave in storage.
Oh, and now would be a good time to show you the B&A on the woodwork. This is what most of the doors looked like before…and how they look now. There were also parts of the woodwork (mostly trim pieces) that had been completely stripped, so they were a different color. Now everything looks cohesive and content. The red hue matches the rest of the house as well as what was popular in mid-century construction.
Last, let’s look at the space outside the bathroom. I love that this doesn’t feel “new.” It seems right, like it’s always been this way. When our closets were here we lost a lot of floor space. Now, that’s all been put to good use. In the coming days (months) our new closet will be built in under the slanted roof on the right. The low closets currently built into the knee wall will stay, they’ll just give added space at the back of the closet. This will be handy for storing bulky stuff like luggage, bins of puffy winter gear, etc.
What happened here?
Obviously the closets were taken out and new walls were put up.
We chose to paint the area in front of the bathroom a light cream color and the bedroom a sage to separate the spaces visually.
Our attic access door had to be moved.
We added the beams on the ceiling to reinforce some places were the attic joists were causing the drywall to crack…and to disguise our new attic entrance. And they look cool. But mostly we did it to be practical. Because no one wants to redo a ceiling right now.
It’s not very obvious, but we also swapped the light above the stairs, which hung kind of low and collected lots of dead flies, for a classic mid-century, semi-flush-mount fixture.
So there you have it. Project complete. Man, I love saying that. I get asked often what my favorite part of doing projects is. My answer is always: “Uh…when it’s done.” I like the work. Really I do. But by far my very favorite thing is when it’s all done and beautiful. I just like to sit and look at it. To enjoy the space. It’s like I can feel the house sigh with relief that the work is over and it can relax. In my own home I don’t take on projects I don’t think the house needs or wants. This one I can say for sure: the house wanted it and it’s very, very happy. Did I mention it’s really nice not to have to go down a flight of stairs to pee in the middle of the night?? Especially when you’re pregnant!
But enough about talking houses and my urinary habits. Here’s one more collage of the finished product. I wish all of you could come over for coffee and sit in the kitchen–or the bedroom with me. But for now This will have to do. Thanks for stopping by.
That’s what the adorably sweet girl at the front desk of my chiropractor said. It was a joy chatting with her before my appointments. She’s one of those people who can put you at ease immediately and have you feeling camaraderie after a 3-minute chat. It’s a gift, for sure. But on this particular day–she was very, very wrong.
She asked how I was feeling. There was just about a month left in my pregnancy. I told her I was feeling great overall and hoped I’d actually be late to deliver. After this comment she told me I was the only person she’d ever heard say that. Welp, that’s me…an anomaly.
“I just have a lot to do around my house. If I had to bring a baby home today I could, but it would really be better for everyone if I had more time.”
At this point she gushed about me nesting. Which, who knows–maybe I was.
“I went through the same thing about a month before I was due. I had so much energy. I reorganized everything in the house. I had this label maker–and I labeled everything. Even the obvious stuff…like a jar with pencils in it. I printed a “pencils” label and put it on there!”
I told you, she’s adorable. And fun. And one of my favorite people to see.
However, in my mind I was cynically thinking of how adorable her pencil label story was. If only I was reorganizing and labeling. That would be a vacation in Barbie’s dream house. Instead, when I closed my eyes and rubbed at them–they were chronically dry at this point from all the drywall dust–I could only see visions of the construction zone that I once called my bedroom.
This photo was literally taken on the day of this interaction. Walls unfinished. My poor baby’s crib full of tools and under a drop cloth. Oh and those whitish looking rags in the lower left corner–those are the clothes I’d been wearing before my appointment and I put them on again after. Grosser than putting on a wet bathing suit.
Nesting. Yeah, that’s cute.
Or maybe this is just how I nest. I don’t know. But I really doubt it.
The doctor called me back at that point. She cracked some things and yanked my legs and I walked out feeling amazing. Then I headed back to my sweet Canyon Cottage, who desperately needed my attention.
In my last post I showed you around the house. Since then I had a pretty big technical issue that required a major data transfer. Combine that time consuming task with finishing the master bedroom and it left me exhausted and with very little time to post. But things are all better now. All my photos and client archives are safe and sound. And I’ve thought about loads of things to post. Soon, a baby will be my excuse for not writing–but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Anyway. Today I’m showing you the project. To save everyone from a maaaassive post, I’ll keep the full B&A for tomorrow. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat too. (more…)
Have you ever had a secret dream that came true? Like something super dear to your heart that you never thought would happen. Then it did. And you just couldn’t believe it. And all you could do was thank God over and over, because you just really couldn’t believe it?
Kind of like blowing out your birthday candles, and having that outlandish wish come true.
When it does you’re afraid to really tell anyone about it. Because maybe if you did it would all go away and you’d wake up and discover the whole thing had been a dream.
That’s how I feel about my home. My house. I call it the Canyon Cottage. But mostly just in my own head and on my secret Pinterest board of ideas and DIY tutorials I’ve got saved. I call it that because it’s near a place called Canyon Lake.
Besides that, I also really like canyons. There’s something magical about being at the bottom of a canyon. A place that’s been cut and formed by the forces of nature, directed by God’s own hand. Canyons are carved from harsh elements, yet become places of beauty and life. The path to this place was carved from proverbial harsh elements. On my way to this home, this front door, I was caught between walls of rock and strife. Yet somehow, after squeezing through lots of tight places, I–we, ended up here. In a beautiful canyon. Wide enough to breath in. Narrow enough to be a shelter.
Maybe that train of thought makes no sense. Or maybe it’s just too romantical. The simple truth is that I love it here and God has gifted me a portion of peace I didn’t know existed since living here. It’s been a balm to my tired mind and soul. (more…)
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. And I’m hoping to come to you with a big fat explanation of all the adventures that have been taking place here. Let’s just say it has involved dead bats, a new house, endless woodwork to refinish, contractors, and sliding to the door Risky Business style {fully clothed, of course} to answer the door when I thought it was Derek…only to find it was a new neighbor {who I’m pretty sure thought I was 15.} It’s been one awkward adventure after another.
But in the midst of the arrival of boxes and furniture, unpacking, and shifting furniture around to refinish fabulous hardwood floors…I was inspired by the lovely folks at Arhaus to put together a post about fall decor ideas. Now…you know I’m a fan of total transparency, so I’m going to be honest. My house is currently decorated with polyurethane cans, rags and step ladders. However, my family is coming from far and wide {Indiana and Wisconsin} to spend Thanksgiving with me, and I’ll be a monkey’s uncle before I let my house go decor-bare for one of my favorite occasions. So this year, more than any before, I’m relying on my easiest, quickest, most trusty fall decor methods to turn my middle-of-a-remodel abode into something more guest appropriate.
For fall and Thanksgiving {much like the other holidays} I like to decorate with things I have on hand or things that are easily accessible and shiftable after the season is over. Therefore, the five items I’m going to showcase today are all things I have around my house that I like to bring front and center in the fall. Let’s go.
Image via the Pendleton site. Click to go to source.
1. Wool Blankets. I love wool. It’s a problem. And it’s growing as I age. I love wool blankets and wish I was rich so I could buy every single one in the Filson, Pendleton and Woolrich catalogs. I consider them a good investment, since wool never goes out of style and will last lifetimes if properly cared for. {I like to tell Derek I’m buying heirlooms…} As soon as cooler weather starts to hit and leaves change, these puppies come out of hibernation. I fling them over an arm chair, stack them on a trunk or end table for easy access, and layer them up on beds. They don’t have to match, they don’t have to be perfect. Just the fuzzy, warm texture is enough to bring a sense of fall into your living room. And since they can be pricey, but do last a lifetime–keep your eye on online markets {like eBay}, estate sales and auctions, and flea markets to score wool blankets for a fraction of the catalog cost. Bonus, if you come across some that are damaged you can scoop them up and repurpose them into pillow covers for you couch throws.
2. Natural Elements. I love that fall starts out with a big burst of color. Then things start to fade out and we are surrounded by an awesome neutral pallet. For this reason, I’m into using natural elements and textures to decorate for this season. It’s calming to have a house full of low-key tones after the brightness of summer and the colorful pops that come with the Christmas season. Really anything that let’s you bring a piece of the season indoors is fine by me. A few of my favorites. include wood discs, golden paper leaves, burlap of all kinds, birch wrapped candles {not pictured above}, feathers of all sorts and leaves straight from the tree. Use these items to make wreaths, fill vases and mason jars, and accent any other arrangement you might be working on.
Originally from Good Housekeeping, image found on Everything Fabulous. Click image to be taken to their site.
3. Silver and Pewter. Something about silver and pewter just sings about fall to me. While I think it’s a little drab for summer, these items come front and center in the fall. Something about them reminds me of spooky Halloween stories, rustic pilgrim meals, and medieval feasts. Group weathered silver items together on an end table or as a center piece. Fill them up with leaves, feathers, mums, or nuts. If you are shopping, suggest looking for things that are a bit imperfect, have a matte or pewter finish, and are not cheap-chincy chrome. One of the best features of these items is that they are a perfect backdrop for nuetral-fall elements, then transition seamlessly to Christmas by filling them with lights, glittery ornaments and evergreen branches.
4. Vintage Books. Fall ushers in a time of early sunsets and long evenings spent indoors. I like to hearken back to a time before Netflix, when our grandparents and great grandparents spent evenings entertaining themselves with books. Reading stories aloud to one another, using the energy of their imagination to generate the images. In my house, it’s mostly board games and movies after dark {at 5:30 or so}…but I like to give a nod to this old tradition by stacking up my favorite classics on end tables. Or using them as pedestals for my favorite pewter pitcher.
Image via Divine Dinner Party. Click image to visit their site.
5. Nuts. Nuts get a category all their own–even though maybe they are a natural element. Transparency: I’ve had these nuts for years. We own a nut cracker. Each year I get a few fresh nuts for cracking. Each year, more get added to my “decor” nut box. Nuts are a conversation piece…because no one really knows how to crack them any more. Kids are hilarious when they try to break in. And they can give your Thanksgiving guests something to do while they wait for the turkey…without getting overly snacky. You can spray paint them gold. You can fill jars in all sizes for a centerpiece. You can put them out in a pretty bowl on the end table. You can add them to wreaths. You can buy them dirt cheap. Pick up a few from the grocery store, set them out for all to see–and just that easy…you’ve decorated for fall.
I want to extend a BIG THANKS to Arhaus for featuring this post and these ideas on their site! Be sure to check them out and see what’s inspiring them this fall. They have super pretty furniture and lots of inspiring decor–I’m flattered to be included. {Disclaimer…Arhaus has in no way paid or compensated me for this post or these compliments.}
Renew your zeal for the Bible with three days of exclusive devotionals! Interesting and relevant writings and reflection questions will remind you why the Word of God is so awesome. You'll learn a lot and you'll leave excited to know God more and grow deeper in your faith.
Your kick-start is on the way!
You've always dreamed of reading the Bible in chronological order. Now you can!
Getting my printable PDF plan is easy. It's not fancy, but it does fold easily into a bookmark, so you can keep it close by and easily see what's coming next. I hope you find it as useful as I do.
**Remember to check your PROMOTIONS FOLDER. Even if your confirmation comes to your normal inbox, the actual download may come to that pesky promotions folder instead!**
