Renovation is not for the faint-hearted—or for the impatient! Our master bedroom renovation technically began in December 2018, right before we moved in. This reveal's been a long time coming! I think it was worth the wait. I always like to take you back to my first impression of a space, so here's the listing photo. And then began the mess-making! Then the improvements . . . And finally . . . cleaning those gorgeous heart pine floors in preparation for finishing. At that point, we called it "good" and moved on to more pressing projects. But after almost two years, it ... Keep Reading...
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FARMHOUSE GUEST BATHROOM: RENOVATION & REVEAL + What I want in a new toilet
If you're looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, you've come to the wrong place! But if you want to see how we turned our "charming" 80s bathroom into a sleek, elegant but FUN 21st Century charmer, I'm happy to show you. So many months ago (back in July!), we started our guest bathroom renovation. You may have missed that post (or, more likely, you need a refresher!), so go ahead and read it now. Don't worry. . . I'll wait right here. This was my inspiration board . . . And this is where we were headed . . . Stretching the space to provide more function. Ready? Some people love to grout, but not ... Keep Reading...
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FRESH START: Old House Kitchen Renovation Begins
It may not look like much to you, but today brought a fresh start to our old house renovation. The room that will become our new kitchen was taken back down to the very old studs, and we're starting over! Ever wish we could do that with our lives? Just start over? Sometimes . . . but it's not that easy, is it? Truth be told, starting over with a century-old house isn't that easy either, but it's worth the effort! These old walls have stood for 112 years, and they've witnessed a lot of memories. But helping the ol' gal make her way a little further into the 21st Century will keep her around for another hundred years of memory-making, and so today the project began. When we bought ... Keep Reading...
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STORIES IN WOOD {Back story of Word of the Year graphic + a renovation update}
If you analyze graphics like I tend to, you probably wondered why I chose a cut log to go with INSECURITY (my word of the year). I doubt most of you even noticed, but just so you know . . . there’s always a connection in the graphics. Most people know that the age of a tree can be determined by the number of rings in its cross section. But not everyone knows the wood also tells the story of the tree’s life. Good weather? Drought? Insect infestation? Forest fire? Crowded conditions? The story is obvious (if you know how to read it). All of the good years, uncertain times, and stressful periods are visible. If we looked from afar, we’d likely see "just" a growing tree—but, as with any living thing, ... Keep Reading...
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Not a fan of INSECURITY—but it’s my 2021 Word of the Year
Time has taught me to pay attention when words, thoughts, emails, conversations begin to take on the appearance of a theme. If you've been around here long, you know I'm a big fan of themes! But the theme taking shape in my mind lately isn't a fun one. In fact, I'd rather ignore it—but I know better. In my experience, when a theme begins to overlay my everyday, I know I need to pay attention. God tends to speak to me in themes. In other words, he meets me right where I am and speaks through things I can understand. Guess what? He'll do the same for you! So I'm paying attention . . . Committing to a "word of the year" will keep me focused—and accountable. I told you it's not a fun ... Keep Reading...
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YEAR-ROUND CHRISTMAS: Long-awaited Advent Wreath Chandelier
For years I've wanted to share this post with you. Literally . . . years. When we bought our first old house to restore in 2005, we discovered a huge brass Advent wreath left behind amidst (a few) treasures and (a lot of) trash. I loved it, but it was far too large to be used for its intended purpose in a typical home. Through observation and research, I learned the special piece was made in Israel in the late 1960s by the Terra Sancta Guild, likely for a church or chapel. It was intended to be suspended and would have hung from an ornate chain. Over the years, I contacted a few churches in our community in attempts to donate it, but I always met with a dead end. The congregations already had their own ... Keep Reading...
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Autumn birthday flowers inspire tablescape
Last week, while enjoying my birthday on our newly-renovated front porch, I was surprised to receive a beautiful Autumn flower arrangement. If you've spent time here at My Place for awhile, you know I love adding pops of non-traditional color to the "usual" Fall colors, so this gift from a dear friend was a visual treat! There was no way I could pass up doing a quick tablescape, no matter how crazy-busy life is around here right now. Enjoy! I have lots of Autumn-themed dishes, but sometimes it's fun to combine non-traditional dishes with touches of traditional (like these napkins, napkin rings and leaf-embellished charger). If you like the ... Keep Reading...
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Whatever it takes…. Keep your heart close to the hurting
Part of the world’s healing is doing whatever it takes to get your heart to stay close to the hurting. ~ Ann Voskamp But aren't we all hurting right now—just a little bit . . . or a lot? Is it really possible in the midst of our own "stuff" to dig deeper into ourselves and intentionally move closer to someone else who's hurting? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes it's true: we simply have not one iota more of ourselves to give, and that's okay. But sometimes, in choosing to shift our focus from our own pain, disappointments, and discouragements to the people around us—and the hurts they're facing—we find that we experience healing, too. When I change the perspective from MY reality to YOUR ... Keep Reading...
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Making the RIGHT choices in an old house renovation {or in Life}
When my Renaissance Man and I began our latest old house renovation, we made a promise to each other: No matter what, we will do things right. RIGHT. It's an interesting word. In the example of our century-old home, it doesn't translate to "purist" restoration choices. It doesn't presume a specific timeline or project order. It doesn't even imply high end/top dollar spending. For us, it means we won't take shortcuts. On those days when we're tired and "over" a project and ready to find the end, we won't risk doing sloppy work by hurrying. We'll step back, if necessary, and start another day. Trust me, it'll still be there waiting . . . ... Keep Reading...
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GUEST BATHROOM RENOVATION: Preparing for the day when house guests return!
When painting the bathroom ceiling is exciting, you know you need a pick-me-up. That's what I realized yesterday when we primed the ceiling in the renovation-in-progress guest bathroom. I need a pick-me-up! Do you need one as much as I do? During these stay-at-home days, we've juggled projects and made good progress on our old house, but I've really missed seeing family and friends. These days . . . and weeks . . . and months of limited physical contact are getting old. Next week we'll miss celebrating Little Man's birthday in person for the first time in his 11 years. And in April we missed Little Sir's for the first time in his 8 years. I know some of you grandparents live too far away to see your grandones even once a year, ... Keep Reading...
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SO MANY PROJECTS! {Hoping there’s method to the madness!}
Ten years ago today I hit "publish" on my first blog post. Where has the time gone? Blogland has been through a lot of changes since that day a decade ago. So have I. You, too? And yet we still meet here to share Life; its joys and frustrations, proud moments and heartbreaks, celebrations and peaceful quiet. If you've been along for the ride since the beginning, I'd love to know! I'm not a juggler, but it seems (even during these stay-at-home days) all I'm doing is juggling projects. For various reasons, we've started a lot of projects, but few are actually finished. There's really a lot happening around here! So much, in fact, that I can't seem to slow down enough to wrap my head around ... Keep Reading...
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REDEEMING HISTORY: Transformation of a neglected dresser
Every morning, this room catches my eye, and I smile. Maybe because it's the most "finished" room in our ongoing old house renovation! I'm especially happy these days because a years-old project is now complete. Well, mostly . . . Back in January 2017, right after Renaissance Man and I began our big adventure with plans to build our Finally Farmhouse, we purchased century-old, five-panel doors out of this 1898 farmhouse in Concord/Cabarrus County, NC that was slated for demolition. As I walked through the house, I noticed an old, neglected dresser with the prettiest chippy blue paint. It was missing the two bottom drawers, and the hardware was long gone; a nail in each ... Keep Reading...
