The Moving Conundrum

We live in a house with three bedrooms, three bathrooms (thank you, Lord!), a great kitchen, a large yard, and a small mortgage. When it was just the two of us, it felt spacious and inviting and we couldn't imagine ever moving. This house was turned into our home through a lot of hard work. I'm super proud of the fact that the brick wall on the outside of our house was laid by my hands, that my stud of a husband built and raised the back wall of our kitchen by himself, ingeniously using a system of ropes and pulleys, that I faced my fear of heights to help him hoist every 4 x 8 sheet of roofing up through the attic, and that the tiles in our bathroom were all cut by me and installed by the Hubs. This house is an outpouring of our blood (literally), sweat, and savings. In the words of George Stanley Banks, I love this house.  

When we decided to adopt four kids (before it bumped up to five), we knew we had a short window of time (and money) to finally renovate the front half of our 1940 bungalow. Being a few years older this time, we hired out more of the work, but still put in plenty of sweat equity in order to complete the job. By the time we were done, the front bedroom included a walk-in-closet, an upstairs loft, and an en suite bathroom. The living room and dining room looked like we always imagined they could, and the original 9' ceilings were back in all their glory. I never wanted to move.

And then we were matched with five kids - including a boy - and suddenly, instead of putting four girls in two rooms, we were going to put all four in one room (with the loft) and the boy in his own, smaller room. And the house started to shrink. Still, I knew that I didn't want to take care of much more than what we already had, so when people asked if we were planning to upsize our home, we rebuffed the idea completely. While in Central America to adopt the kids we all lived in a two bedroom, two bath, 900 sq. ft. condo, so when we returned to the States two months later, our house felt palatial! Until one day it didn't.

What we - as brand new parents - failed to factor in was the differences in nighttime habits and bedtimes between a 4 year old and a 12 year old. And suddenly, the need for another bedroom became clear. At first we discussed ways to add on to our house - AGAIN - or create a fourth bedroom somewhere in the existing space, but each idea came to a dead end. This left us with the option of moving - something we never would have considered in years past, but found ourselves discussing more and more often.

In fact, this last week we went beyond talking and actually went to look at three different houses. It felt a bit like Goldilocks - this one is too small, this one is too tight, and the price on this one (before the necessary gutting and renovating) is just right. There's something about stepping out from theory and actually looking at houses to make you appreciate what you already have.

Yes, we still see a move in our future, but what these houses showed us was that the timing wasn't right - we were forcing it. There are financial goals that we'd like to meet before we upgrade and house projects we'd prefer to complete before taking on something new, so for the time being, we've settled back into a life that's working - if not perfectly, at least well enough. Home is, after all, wherever you are loved, and we have plenty of that to go around.

Plan To Be Flexible...

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” 
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Plans are delightful things. You come up with a fantastic idea, take steps towards your goal, and then, suddenly, the rug gets jerked out from under you and you find yourself sitting on the ground, wondering what happened. 

Or sometimes... plans just change.

Life happens.

Dreams grow.

What seems important at one stage of your life, seems less important during another.

Three years ago, we purchased the Project House. You may recall that the original plan was to renovate it and then rent it out. Last month, the plan changed as we watched the track-hoe level the house and haul away the remains. Not once did we second guess our choice, knowing that we had made the right decision for direction our life is heading. It was, and still is, such a relief to look out the window and see an empty lot, rather than an abandoned house.

Last Saturday, we found evergreens on clearance at a local home improvement store, and spent the afternoon planning for the future. As we discussed where to plant the trees, we had to think about our long-term plans for the property. Would we add on again? Build a garage? Did we need to leave room for a wider driveway? What if the trees got too close to the neighboring house and we had to cut them down? We reviewed every possibility we have ever discussed, and then planned accordingly. 

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” 

― Abraham Lincoln

No, it's not possible to plan for every eventuality, but failing to plan at all simply sets you up for failure. The reason that we didn't move forward on renovating the Project House is because we recognized that it would be throwing good money at a Money Pit. Instead, we realigned our goals and made a plan to pay off our house, which we did, one year ago. 

While our plans will change as we grow, pray, and follow God's leading in our life, our goal has always remained the same: to be a good steward of the resources He has entrusted to us. We don't always succeed. In fact, sometimes we make a royal mess of things, and then have to pick up the financial pieces and try again. But having a goal, and a plan, make getting back on track a whole lot easier.  

{Little bits of evergreen now, great privacy later}

Do you have a goal you're working towards?

Have you made a plan to help you get there?

#iamthankful {Week 43}

Do you even need to ask??? Personally, I think a picture is worth a thousand words this week, but just in case you're wondering, you can read all about it HERE.

{#iamthankful}

What are YOU thankful for today?

RIP Project House

On a cool November day in 2010, we signed our names to a mortgage for the house next door to ours, one with which we shared a driveway. It seemed important to us to make the budget work so we could buy it, due to it's close proximity to our residence. Good neighbors, and all that jazz. 

Eventually, that house became known as the Project House (or PH) and I started blogging about our plans for it. Plans which changed approximately 50 million times (give or take). In May 2012, I shared our intention to close up the PH, and focus on paying off the mortgage on our own home, which is exactly what we did last November.

Once our home was paid off, we were faced with the decision of what to do with the Project House. In the meantime, another project was dropped on our doorstep, providing us with something else to add into the mix. When it rains, it pours. For about 6 months, we debated what to do with the PH, as we knew we didn't want neighbors that close to us, and we also didn't want to share a driveway again.

We discussed turning it into a workshop for the hubs, physically moving it farther up our property and flipping for a rental, moving it farther back on the property and turning it into a garage, and we even toyed with the idea of leaving it where it was and putting a pool inside! In the end, because of the way it was built, it just wasn't worth renovating or saving in any way.

With one decision made, we went back to the bank to refinance the house we had just paid off, and paid off the Project House instead. Emotionally, it felt like one step back, but mentally, I knew that we still had one paid off mortgage to our credit, we just changed the house that was paid off. And on the plus side, our new monthly payment was half of what either of the previous two mortgages were, which thrilled my cheap-o Scotch blood.

Once we held the title in our hands, we started looking for a company who could handle taking the house down and hauling every tiny piece of it away. We've learned a few things along the way, and one of them is knowing what we want to do -- and can do -- ourselves, and what it's worth paying professionals to do. Tearing down a house and hauling it away fell into the latter category, for sure! Which brings me up to what is happening this week...

Yesterday morning, the house looked a little forlorn. The last three weekends have been filled with us (and by us, I mean, the hubby) pulling out anything we wanted to salvage or that could be sold (think anything metal). On Monday, a few of the hubs co-workers came by to pull out windows and doors, and take off some siding that they plan on re-using. It made me happy to see things getting a second life.

At 8 am, a large dump truck pulling an even bigger trackhoe pulled up in front of the Project House, and by 3 pm, we no longer shared a driveway. Let me just say, there was a whole lot of {happy dancing} going on in our house. Euphoric would be an appropriate word. 

Today, the plan is for the crew to return and haul away the block and bricks, then fill the hole and smooth it out, making it look like there was never a house there. #Bliss

Do we regret buying the house? (We've been asked this a lot!) Not one bit. From the moment we moved into our house 12 years ago, we talked about buying the house next door if it ever went up for sale. When our neighbors did decide to sell it, we were able to buy it directly from them, avoiding realtor fees (apologies to any realtors who might read this blog!). For almost three years, we have enjoyed the privacy it gave us... and the additional parking, and now we will enjoy a large side yard. In our minds, it was still one of the best purchases we ever made. An expensive lot? Perhaps, but worth it when it comes to peace of mind and great neighbors. {ahem}

So farewell Project House. You were a lesson in Money Pit economics, patience, and how not to build a house, but for 72 years, you provided shelter to various folks, and we thank you.

Improvements...

Last month I shared a list of 12 goals that I wanted to work on in 2013. Invigorated from the success of paying off our mortgage, I knew that if I aimed high, there was a better than good chance that I might actually mark some of these items off the list.

Several of you mentioned that you would be interested in an accountability group on Facebook. If this still sounds like something you are interested in, send a private message through my Busy Nothings FB page, and I'll look into creating a secret group where you can share, ask for help, prayer, or encouragement as you work towards your goals in 2013.

Since it's a new month...well, still fairly new...I thought I'd give a quick update about how I'm doing with my goals, and what I've been able to accomplish that was not on the original list.

{1} Pay off the Project House

This has been debated, tossed around, reworked, and we're still not sure what's going to happen. 

The good news is that it's still within the realm of possibility.

{2} Read 75 Books

So far, so good. I'm keeping track of my progress on Goodreads and Pinterest, and I'm currently only 1 book behind schedule. Considering the craziness of the first 6 weeks of the year, I'd say I'm pleased. 

{3} Exercise 3 days a week
Not even close, but there's a hint of good news...
I've walked on the treadmill twice, walked with a friend once, and on Tuesday, I hiked down to the grocery store, over to the pharmacy where I used to work, and back home again...just because I wanted to get outside after staring at the computer all day. However, hands down the best workout yet this year was building a snowman and sledding for an hour with the hubby!



{4} Tell my time where to go
Definite improvement in this area. I can't explain the difference, except that I simply started doing it. I've read more, worked more (even with a week off), watched more Masterpiece shows, cleared off my ironing pile, and kept a cleaner house since January 2nd. And guess what? I'm loving it!

{5} Completely clean out the backyard
Expect an update on this when warmer weather rolls around.

{6} Finish Project 312
Progress - thanks to the hard work of the hubster. [No, Project 312 has never been defined on the blog - let's just say it's something that needs to be done]

{7} Explore the James 1:27 Adventure

Still talking, praying, planning [Also never been explained on here, and yes, the name has changed]

{8} Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without (a no-shopping experiment)

Haven't done this officially yet, but I am shocked (and pleased) to announce that when I walked into Target last week with Peter to buy toothbrushes - it had been one month since I had been there! Target used to be my go-to place...now I'm too busy living life! Love it.

{9} Twelve driving lessons in the 5-speed (wish me luck)

Moving on...

{10} Unplug more often

Yes and no. I'm unplugging from work more often (I see the emails come in - via my phone - over the weekend, but I ignore them until Monday), but I'm also enjoying PBS/BBC programming via my computer, and reading Kindle books on my phone. Overall, I would say this is a success (especially considering I've read 6 books in the first 6 weeks of 2013).

{11} Memorize 52 Bible verses
I struggle with memorizing, but I'm using the card set from Samaritan's Purse to help me focus on specific verses this year. I may not be able to quote 52 verses by the end of 2013, but familiarity and repetition work for me.

{12} Pack more Shoeboxes

Honestly, I put this one on the list because I wanted 12 items and I was out of creativity. However, I already have 6 boxes done, so it's possible that I'll be able to double that number this year. Stay tuned.

Things that weren't on the original list, but feel like major accomplishments for 2013:

I was asked to edit a book (unrelated to my work with Weaving Influence).
And I said yes. {Eek!}

I was asked to join Jessica and Anne to host Booking It once a month.
One month down, and loving it. So honored to be included!

I invested of my time and finances to give What's On My Nightstand a trial run.
I made time to update the website, create profiles, and set up posts.

We paid back our Rainy Day Fund (RDF).
And set a new goal to save more.

What accomplishments and goals are you celebrating?

A Penny Saved

It's a big goal. A really BIG goal. In fact, it seems crazy just looking at the numbers. Some of you who have been reading for a while might recall that back in November of 2010, we purchased the house that shares our driveway. Although we had a pretty good sized down payment for the house, we still had to take out a mortgage to close the deal. 

In two years, we have only paid back 3.36% of the mortgage. {le sigh} Granted, we focused on paying off our house and setting up the RDF (which was dipped into, so it is in the process of being built up again), but now that we're free of our primary mortgage, it's time to focus on paying off the Project House.

This year. 

I'll keep you posted. Accountability and all that jazz. In the meantime, please excuse me, I need to go turn down the heat and add another sweater. It's going to be a frugal 12 months.

Do YOU have a big financial goal you're working towards?

Let's Start the New Year Right

One of the things that I learned through the process of paying off our home in 2012, was that if you set an "impossible" goal, it helps bring other aspects of your life into focus, and it keeps you on track. You might not reach your goal, but if you aim low, you'll hit it every time. I'd rather aim high and do the {happy dance} when all the hard work pays off. Talk about an adrenaline rush! 

So, with the success of last year's financial goal still fresh in our minds, I'm sharing twelve goals that we'll be working on in 2013. Some of them are personal goals, and some are goals that we'll be working towards as a couple. I'm sharing them here because I believe in accountability. Ready?

{1} Pay off the Project House

{2} Read 75 books
{3} Exercise 3 days a week
{4} Tell my time where to go
{5} Completely clean out the backyard
{6} Finish Project 312

{7} Explore the Galations 4:5 Adventure

{8} Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without (a no-shopping experiment)

{9} Twelve driving lessons in the 5-speed (wish me luck)

{10} Unplug more often

{11} Memorize 52 Bible verses

{12} Pack more Shoeboxes

What goals are YOU setting for yourself in 2013?

Would you be interested in a FB accountability group?

Bottom Line {August}

I'm sharing this for the record, and even though we're right on track for our payoff plan, that's not really what I'm writing about today. Today's Bottom Line post is about something bigger than paying off a mortgage or pulling into a driveway that doesn't belong to the bank. Today's post is about planning and trust and hope and dreams. For all you sticklers out there - you know, the really nosy ones who want to know the percentages - I'm including a current update on the mortgage process. Everyone else? Keep reading.

If you've been around this thing called "life" for any amount of time, you know by now that it doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes you make a plan, take steps to reach a goal, and just when you start to ease into a routine - WHAM! Life throws you a curve ball. The real question is: what kind of ball player are you? 

Do you drop the bat and run for the dugout? Do you take the risk of getting a strike and swing at the thing? Or do you play it safe and hope it gets called a ball? 

A little over a month ago (right around the time when I was due to share the Bottom Line Update for July), life threw a speeding curve ball our way. It only took fourteen hours to change our plans. We talked and prayed, we sent texts and made phone calls, we reviewed budgets and considered worse case scenarios, and in the end, we took a swing and watched the ball fly over the fence. 

Life doesn't always stick to the plan. Sometimes you lose a job or gain an unexpected addition to your family. Sometimes an early morning tweet can change your life forever. If we had taken the time to write down what our life together would look like, some 13 years later it would be so full of whiteout and eraser marks, pencil add-ins and Sharpie do-overs, you wouldn't even be able to read it. Do you know why? Our plan isn't His plan.

God knew that humans would want to take over the blueprints of their life design process. He knew that we would misjudge distance, drop the ball, and make a general mess of everything in every inning we play. Do you know what else? He made a promise to us.

"For I know the plans I have for you," 

declares the LORD, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

{Jeremiah 29:11 - NIV}

Does that mean that each morning we will wake up in a bed of roses, open the curtains of our dream home to see the sun shining on our paid-for BMW, before we go to work at our dream jobs? Not on your life. But it does mean that we can leave the planning to Him, trusting that He will not lead us astray. When a new yard sign or morning tweet comes along, sending the best-laid plans into chaos, He isn't taken by surprise, even while we're scattering to catch the ball.

We caught one fly ball: our mortgage balance should be $0 by Thanksgiving. We have crunched numbers, balanced budgets, cut spending, and circled a date on the calendar, marked "Final Mortgage Payment". The financial discipline that we have been acquiring (after being convicted about our lack of it) is finally starting to pay off - just in time to take on something new.

Something bigger. 

Welcome Project 312.

How are YOU doing with YOUR financial goals?

Care to share a dream you've worked for and achieved?

Next Bottom Line Update: 9/25/12

Little Bites {August}

Little Bites Tip: Go With the Flow

It's good to have a plan - it helps keep you on track with goals, projects, and finances. However, one of the things that we learned from living overseas is that you can make plans and set goals, but in the end, you have to be flexible enough to go with the flow. We set some high goals this year, but over the last two weeks, those goals have had to become a little more fluid - and we're okay with that. We're rearranging our priorities, setting up new budgets and financial plans, making lists, organizing "To Do's" in order of importance, and working a little harder. Sometimes the best laid plans must be tossed aside to make room for new ones, and you have to know when to hold fast, and when to let go and see where the new current takes you.
Right now, we're dog-paddling to the finish line!

Little Bite {July} Update

1. Paperwork filing - this has to stay on the list

Nope.

2. Create and implement a work schedule that keeps me within my budgeted hours

Progress. Love that timer!

3. Finish uploading and creating missionary mugs for our church

I was planning on doing this while we were on vacation, but when I decided to unplug all the way, that included this project. Since then, I simply haven't made time to do it.

4. Iron 5 shirts a week (my ironing pile is getting a little big with Peter's new job)

I did NOT iron 5 shirts a week, but I spent two afternoons watching Foyle's War (on YouTube - thanks for the heads up, Beth!) and  Inspector Lewis (on pbs.org), and I worked my way through the entire pile!

5. Re-list washing machine on Craigslist, clean up backyard, take load of metal to recycling center

Yes - but not sold, started - but not finished, and yes - and came home with $$$ in my pocket!

Little Bites Goals {August}

1. Clean up around PH {remove trash, store tub, paint front door, hang blinds}

2. Work on Secret Project {patience, all will be revealed in due course}

3. Continue working on time management as I take on additional clients

4. Take load of trash to the dump {includes cleaning up back yard and PH}

5. List more large items on Craigslist {including the washing machine - again!}

Due to the nature of Secret Project (SP), plus a slightly busier work load, you might see less of me on the blog this month. I'm hoping to be able to keep up my M-F posting schedule, but I've decided not to sweat it if I don't. Life is a little busy, but I'm beyond thankful for all the work!

What will YOU be working on this month?

A Project House Update

I know that some of you have been wondering what in the world is going on with our little Project House (PH). Truthfully, there are many days that we wonder the same thing. I think the easiest way to explain the PH process is through a timeline, so here we go...

November 2010

Purchase our next door neighbor's house and dub it the Project House (PH for short)

December 2010

Assess the viability of the house and start ripping out the old lath and plaster walls

January 2011

Work stops on the PH as we begin to figure out how much it's going to cost to fix it

March 2011

We come up with a plan that will give us three bedrooms, two baths - perfect for renting

June 2011

We pick up a few odds and ends for the house at Ikea on our way through Atlanta

 

August 2011

Burn lots and lots and lots of wood from the PH in a big bonfire

November 2011

One year since purchase, still no walls, still no progress, still unsure of what to do

December 2011

Devise new plan that gives us two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and should be cheaper

January 2012

Stop paying extra on our house and put all money into an account for the PH

 

February 2012

Lose more shingles from the PH roof, decide first project has to be a new roof

March 2012

Reassessing our long-term financial goals leads to a decision to close up the PH

April 2012

Get estimates for new roof, gag over cost, come up with a less expensive temporary plan

May 2012

Feed a friend lunch in exchange for help patching the roof - jokingly rename it the Potential Money Pit (PMP)

And here we are, a year and a half after we bought the house. We have two basements full of stuff for the PH, plus a guest bedroom that isn't usable due to it being a PH storage room. I might have gotten a little ahead of the project in my purchases. Live and learn - I chalk it up to yet another financial mistake that turned into a learning experience.

We've had a lot of people ask us if we regret buying the PH, and the answer for both of us is unequivocally "NO!" - we have no regrets. We always knew we wanted that house and, in fact, started talking about buying it shortly after we moved into our house eleven years ago. We share a driveway and, basically, it's way too close to have someone living there who isn't related.

So, where does that leave us?

If you've been following our Bottom Line posts, then you know that the decision that we made in March was to aim for paying off the mortgage on our house by the end of this year. What that means for the PH is that we're shutting it down, locking the doors, battening the hatches, and letting it sit (again) for the next seven months. At that point, we'll reassess the viability of throwing $$$$$ into it to make it livable again vs. paying it off ASAP and selling it as scrap, to be moved, or simply tearing it down and having an empty lot next door. A lot of that decision will be based on variables like who wins the November election, the economy, and how long it would take us to pay off the PH vs. using that money to flip and rent it.

Would we do it again (flip a rental)? Absolutely. We've learned a lot from this non-project project, and we'd be a lot more grounded going into a new PH (re: cost of materials, what we're willing and not willing to do, etc.). Plus, we already have most of what we need to upgrade a property, so why not use the materials, right? While you may not see or hear much about this particular Project House from now on, I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time you'll read the abbreviation "PH" on this blog. Stay tuned ...

Have you ever started a project, only to realize that it wasn't worth the time/money to finish?

I'd love to hear your story.

PH "Cityscape"

Earlier this year I reported that our biggest goal for 2012 was to see the Project House finished in time for the races in August. I don't know if we'll be on track for that to happen or not (we're still working on getting roofing estimates and sticking buckets around the house every time it rains), but I'm extremely hopeful that 2012 will be the year of the Project House Completion.

Even though the roof leaks and we have no walls in the PH, I started making design plans as soon as we purchased the house in November of 2010. In 2011 I started dreaming about how I wanted the bedrooms to look and I decided to try some things that I probably wouldn't attempt in our own home. I made a little mock up board of ideas and started purchasing some of the items for the second PH bedroom; so while the house next door sits empty, our guest room is stuffed with pillows and blankets and kitchen items and (now) two mattress sets for the PH. Below is the original idea board that I created:

After our trip to Ikea last summer, I came home with several of the orange accent items that I had hoped to obtain for Bedroom #2 (which I'm now calling "the cityscape"). Peter's been good about reminding me that there's no reason to continue to buy items to furnish the PH when we don't have walls, and our finances would be better spent on actually getting the house finished. Somehow, buying plumbing fixtures and electrical outlets just isn't as fun as picking out cute lamps and kitchen colors, but I know that he's right. So although the house shopping has been put on hold for the time being, I have been hunting around Pinterest for ideas on how to arrange and decorate this rather small space on an even smaller budget.

Last week I came across a photo of a room that had black walls, and something clicked in my little head. I've always been a fan of chalkboard paint, so wouldn't it be fun to paint one wall black and then draw a cityscape in chalk to mimic the outline on the pillows and table lamp? Since I'm a very visual person, I quickly did a little mock up wall in Paint and then put together another idea board in Picasa, which should give you the general gist of what I'm seeing in my head:

With the exception of the nightstand (and different beds that I'm planning on painting black), I already have everything I need to make this room a reality. Except walls, of course. With the one black wall, the plan is to leave the other three walls white in order to make an even bigger contrast. I can see it so clearly in my head that I am now anxious to spend some money on getting the roof done and the insides started so that I can finally play decorator in real life. I'll keep you posted ...

Do you have any big (or little) design projects that you're dreaming about?

Becoming Intentional

I've previously discussed how we are working towards becoming Purposeful (as individuals, as a couple, and as Believers) in creating goals, and how staying Focused will help us reach those long (and short)-term goals. This week I'm offering up a third word for 2012: Intentional. Is there a goal-penalty for double-usage of a word? I apparently have a bad memory, because I just realized that I selected Intentional as our word of 2010 (after-the-fact) - guess it's a good goal to continue working towards, eh?

While there is very little difference between Purposeful and Intentional (in fact, one is the synonym of the other), there is a slight difference in how I view them. When Peter and I decided that we needed to create a Statement of Purpose, the idea was of an overarching goal, a filter through which we sent every major decision to see if it supported and furthered that purpose, or if it was merely a distraction. Once we created a purpose as a filter, we could focus on the goals that made it through and start planning how to make those goals a reality without becoming distracted.

Now that the plans are in place (with some wiggle room for those unexpected curve balls that life likes to throw), we're working towards becoming Intentional about making those plans happen. We are making intentional choices about how we use our resources (time and money), creating deadlines to give ourselves a time frame in which to work, and taking action instead of simply making another list or talking about what we should do.

Let's take the Project House as an example. Instead of saying, "Finish the PH in 2012" (too general), we need to select a deadline (rent-ready by the August races), make a comprehensive list of everything that needs to be done, and then break it down in to monthly bite-sized goals that we can intentionally work towards. Giving ourselves a deadline forces us to figure out the $-amount needed each month to complete the job (focus on finances), and then prioritize the work (1-New Roof, 2-New Windows, 3-Insulation, etc.), which will give us a concrete plan of attack. If the roof comes first, then we start getting estimates. Once we have an estimate, we have a financial goal to work towards, and each step builds upon the previous one.

I honestly don't know if we'll make the August deadline, but if we have nothing to aim for, then I have a feeling that we'll still be talking about how we need to work on the PH in January 2013. After all, if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time, right? Just one more reason to make:

Intentional

our 3rd Word of 2012

Purposeful

Focused

Intentional

What are you working on in 2012?

Product Review, Art, and a Hint of Local History

Last week I talked about how I missed traveling and living in other areas, but despite my rant, there are a few things that I really like about our little town. We were once known as the "City of Power" because of our access to hydroelectric power in the early-1900's, and we even had a sign (now long gone) to prove it...

{Photo Source}

In the late 20's, our town drew the attention of German and Dutch investors who came to the area and built two large plants for the manufacturing of rayon - the North American Rayon Corporation (closed in the 90's), and the J.P. Bemberg Company. At the height of their manufacturing in 1949, NARC and Bemberg employed over 6,100 people and we still see the influence of their time here all over town - including the very house where I sit typing this post. Our home was one of the last worker houses built in 1940, a new development of cookie cutter homes that were added just prior to WWII. During the war, both NARC and Bemberg were nationalized (due in part to the German ownership), but were turned over to private investors again in 1949.

  

After Bemberg closed in the mid-70's, the buildings slowly fell into disrepair and a fire took out much of the NARC facilities in the 90's - the remainder of which was removed a few years ago to make room for a new Super Wal-Mart and Lowe's because life goes on. However, several of the old Bemberg buildings have survived, including the original smoke stack baring the company name in white bricks. While I was participating with You Capture last year, I took several photos of the stack for an "assignment" and I really liked the way they turned out.

A few months ago, I heard about a website (Canvas People) offering a free 8 x 10 photo canvas (you pay for shipping) to try them out. I looked at it, but decided to hold off until last month when I was planning the decor of the Project House. Thinking it would be a good opportunity to turn some of the pictures I've taken into "hang-able art" for the PH (and since you never know when they will take a wrecking ball to the smoke stack), I decided it would be a nice ode to the town to hang a picture of a local landmark. I chose a photo out of my collection and then opted to size up to an 11 x 14 for a $6.95 more. When the canvas arrived, I was so pleased with the outcome that I actually hung it on the brick wall in our library.

Right now, Canvas People is running another free-trial special (they have them all the time) - a free 8 x 10 (plus shipping) or $50 off any other size canvas. I'm seriously considering having another print made, but I would go slightly bigger than the 11 x 14 next time. However, if you're looking for a fun family gift for in-laws or grandparents, now would be the time to take advantage of the free 8 x 10. And for the record, I am in no way affiliated with Canvas People, nor have they asked me to write a glowing review of their product - I'm actually that pleased with my purchase!

PH Update: Room For Two

Although the house has been at a virtual standstill (not counting the days spent burning pile after pile of lath and lumber from the house), shopping for the future finished product has not. In the last week I have finally started to get a vision (for lack of a better term) of how I want the second guest room to look, and it has been fun shopping outside my normal decorating zone (i.e. what I would do in my own house).

I already knew that both bedrooms would have a gray/black base for bedding and some accessories, but I wanted them to be different enough that you didn't walk in and say, "oh, she used the same colors for both rooms". I have to give a shout out to Molly (yet again!) for hooking me up with Pinterest - there are so many great ideas on there! It's easy to spend hours looking through picture after picture, and I'm sure the four people who are connected with me on Pinterest are sick of my pinnings by now.

Anyway, after doing quite a bit of searching, I finally decided to go with a fairly basic base (black bed, gray sheets/blanket, and a white down blanket-turned-comforter) and build up with a brighter color. It was a three-way-tie between orange, yellow, and red, but in the end, orange - my beloved pumpkin orange - won out. I loved what I was able to find on the Ikea website, and I have high hopes of making a stop at their Atlanta store later on to pick up some of these items (I'll keep you posted).

I love the fabric (bottom right corner) as a possibility for window treatments, but as of the writing of this post, it is unavailable at the Atlanta Ikea store. However, it's currently in stock at the store in Charlotte, so it looks like that could be a future week-end trip as well (unless some kind blog-reading soul lives close to Charlotte and wants to help a girl out).

As for the headboard - it's available at Target and I love the look, but the price tag about caused me to have a heart attack. So for now, I'm planning on using two twin bed frames that I had in my room growing up (and before me, they belonged to my brothers) and painting them black. It's a much cheaper option and I'd rather splurge on some $3.99 accent pillowcases.

Final Thought: Don't you just love that cityscape pillow (bottom left corner)?! It had me at hello. I could totally envision what they would look like propped up on each bed (especially with an orange backdrop of a pillowcase - see Mr. Ikea $3.99). Yes, it's true, this pillow made me do the {happy dance}.

{Target.com}

I can't wait to actually see the whole project come together - I think it's going to look great. Of course I'll also be happy because that means the PH is done - cause for the world's longest {happy dance}.

A Project House Update

I had written this post a little while ago and then made some changes to it last Wednesday, right before Blogger had all their problems. Apparently my changes didn't save and since I can't remember what they were, we're basically back to the original post. {sigh} Blogger...you reminded me why I slowed down on blogging - it takes up way too much of my time and emotion when you don't work! At any rate, here's the latest with the Project House...

It has been a little while since I've done an update on the Project House (PH), so I figured it was about time to catch you up on recent purchases and changes. As I mentioned last time, we got a sweet deal a stainless steel- inside and out - dishwasher for the PH which caused me to do a major {happy dance}. We also purchased a new washer/dryer set (clearance + extra % off + free delivery) for our house, which means the stack that we've had for the last 11 years is moving to the PH {insert second happy dance here}. We did a little Craigslist shopping and found a large, like-new vent hood/microwave (which helps free-up counter space), trash compactor, and a Corian counter top with Kohler sink that we're going to use for an island prep area. {major Craigslist happy dancing} Since we chopped the project down to size (as I talked about HERE), that means we only need one queen mattress set and two twin sets, and since I last updated, we were able to get a twin box spring (like new) - for free. Gotta love those freebies!

You'll also notice that I did my first ever idea board - all you professionals, please don't laugh. It should help give you some idea of where I'm going with the living room scheme. The brown and aqua colors were originally planned for the third bedroom, but when we cut it out, the stuff all had to move to the living room since I already had bedding purchased for the other bedrooms. This has created two challanges:

1) The couch I was planning to use from our living room no longer works for two reasons: the color and it isn't a hide-a-bed and we'll need one now that it's only two bedrooms. We have a couple of options - recover the hide-a-bed that is currently in our basement (big $$$ unless we learn how to upholster - always a possibility), or look to Ikea for some cheaper options. Does anyone know anything about upholstery??

2) I have to come up with a unique use for the fabric as it was originally intended to cover one single window, and now it has to cover two sets of double windows. I'm thinking some sort of valance mis-treatment, but I'm open to ideas...

So that's what we've been up to. Next time I'll give you a little sneak peak at the colors I've decided to go with in the kitchen - very cheerful! I'll also see about scanning in the plans for the new house layout so you can get a better idea of what we're working on and give you an update of how the house de-construction is coming (here's a hint: very slowly!). What projects are you working on?

Project House :: Plan D

No, "D" does not stand for dynamite, though the thought might have possibly crossed our minds briefly. It just means that over the week-end we did some realistic figuring (after we purchased a sweet stainless steel dishwasher for half-price!) and started making cuts to the house plans. In the end we went from our original plan of three bedrooms and two baths with a full laundry room and totally new addition, to a much more realistic and budget-friendly two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths with a stack washer/dryer in a closet in the redesigned kitchen and a huge covered back porch. It just makes more sense and it means I don't have to work quite as long to make it happen. That is certainly a huge reason for the {happy dance} in this house! In the meantime, Peter started taking down the ceilings over the week-end and I thought I would share some new photos of the current progress. I know, it may not look like much has changed, but it really has and on top of that, we took a huge load to the dump which helped clear it out a bit.

Looking into what will be the kitchen and open dining and living room. It's going to be nice when it's all finished and I can't wait to see it!

The ceiling is starting to come out and the insulation with it...

That is one big pile of lath waiting to be burned...OUTSIDE!

This will change from a room to a back porch - screened in with an area for grilling and relaxing with a good book and a glass of your favorite beverage. The two doors are covering the hole where the window was. If you're in the area and you want to steal some lath or a couple of huge glass windows, come on in.

So...anyone looking for a place to vacation once we're done?? We're close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Bristol Motor Speedway, shopping in Pigeon Forge, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, the only free national park - Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Watauga Lake, historical farms (Rocky Mount Living History Museum, Tipton Haynes) and forts (Sycamore Shoals), and the oldest town in Tennessee and home to the National Story Telling Center - Jonesborough. And in case that's not enough, we have a Chick-fil-A just down the hill and a Starbucks, Target, and DUNKIN' DONUTS just minutes away in a neighboring city. Yep, we're living the dream and you could be too. {wink, wink}

Project House :: Playing With Fire

There are times when we look at each other and wonder if it's worth it - pouring money into the PH. It needs a new roof, wiring & plumbing, and the whole back section is probably going to end up in a full-on remodel/addition because we have a hard time doing anything half-way. The real killer is that at some point we don't even want the house there - we want a bigger side yard. So...put money into the house, pay off said house (and what remains on our mortgage too), tear down house (or sell to be moved) and hopefully come out ahead in the end so we can do it again. These are just some of the things we were pondering on Saturday as we burned large piles of lath down to a ring of fire. We didn't come up with an answer to our quandary, but it felt good to burn something and it was cheaper than hauling load after load to the dump. If we are going to take this project all the way, every little bit of saving helps!

Project House :: Down Came The Walls

Time for a little Project House update! Peter laughs at me because I'm getting a bit ahead of myself in stocking up for the decorating of the house when at the current moment the house looks like this...

That's right - we're working on going wall-less. Sort of. Let me explain what you're looking at and maybe it will make more sense. I'm standing in the kitchen - where there used to be a wall between it and the dining room. The wall is mostly gone now and I'm looking into what was the dining room. Beyond that is the wall that was between the living room and dining room, but it will be totally gone when we're done so that we have one big open space. To the left of the front door you see another stud wall which actually leads into the front bedroom. All the lath and plaster are coming off so that Peter can re-wire the house and we can put insulation in the walls before going back with Sheetrock. Okay, so does all of that make sense? Here's another photo from a different perspective...

This time I'm standing in the living room and I'm looking at the front bedroom (far right) and the white you see is the hallway, then ahead of me is the dining room with another hallway door and then what's left of the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. In the center you can see through to what was originally the stairwell to the basement and later became a pantry/laundry closet. That's being ripped out as well. What's that you say? Yes, we're basically gutting the whole house. Insane? Mmm...maybe. But at least we have fun with it!

In other news, I wanted to give you a hint of the colors that I've chosen for the second bedroom (you can sort of see the doorway to that room in the photo above). It all started with a pillow and grew from there. That's how ideas normally start with me - I find one item (sometimes it's a paint color, a photo, or a quilt or pillow) and then build a room around it. I already knew I was going with grey in the front and master bedrooms (mostly because I got a smashing deal on grey sheets for both rooms and a comforter set for the master), so I wanted to do something different in the middle bedroom. It's the smallest of the three, which means there isn't a lot of room for big furniture or a lot of extra accessories. However, when I found this pillow at Kohl's (on clearance), I knew what colors I was going to have to work with and the hunt was on for more goodies...stay tuned!