Summer Bucket List

Last year we made a summer bucket list on a chalkboard in our dining room. I was inspired by Meg over at Whatever blog, who does an amazing summer bucket list every year with her family.

Summers for us are usually pretty dull. Both the husband and I are very sensitive to the sun . . . so while most people are laying on the beach we are both hiding in the shade, slathered in sunscreen. The nature of my job means that vacation time is unpaid, so while I usually take a few weeks off it often means that we can't afford to go anywhere because of the loss of income. We're just not those people who live for summertime and who have a full schedule once it arrives.  Usually summer means a lot of watching tv with the blinds closed, but last summer was so different.

Last summer we visited the spray park several times. We walked to town and got ice cream after dinner. We had family photos taken. We went to the fair, to the beach (even if we sat in the shade). We sat on a friend's porch and watched the northern lights late at night. We stood on our deck in the middle of a thunderstorm. We sat around campfires and roasted marshmallows with various neighbors and friends. We tore down a wall and ripped up carpet at a friend's house. We had a Duck Dynasty themed party, went for boat rides on the lake and hiked to a waterfall.

It was a summer full of activity and adventure. The best summer in a long time! And we didn't even go on a vacation. I didn't even take a day off.

It was the list.

Having a list of simple, mostly free things to do in a place where we could see it daily was just the push we needed to turn off the tv, stop hiding from the sun and enjoy the season. We still spent most of our time in the shade, but looking back at the summer of 2013, we had a season packed with activities and a busy social life. And it was good. Good for us as a family and especially for me as a very worn out, over-worked mamma who desperately needed some fun.

We want this summer to be awesome as well. Not the SAME as last year, but just as awesome.

And so, the 2014 Summer List has begun!

Eye Of The Beholder

We took a walk this summer through some property that belongs to my in-laws. When we first came to this spot, I thought it was just an ugly old shed. . . which is why we were there; to bring boards home for a DIY project. I was picking out boards that I liked for the guys to haul back to the truck, when I walked around to the other side of the building.


I was just struck with how beautiful it was. Suddenly I wasn't walking around a pile of junk looking for boards to salvage, I was staring at a beautiful scene worthy of a calendar page.

My view changed, and I could see the beauty in my surroundings. The tall grass that I had been mincing about in looking for snakes, was suddenly gorgeous as the sun hit it and those old weathered boards took on a beautiful graphic shape that I was imagining would be the perfect backdrop for family photos.

So funny how that works -the same thing, viewed differently,can be an eyesore or the most beautiful scene. It all depends on your point of view. . . 

I used to have decorating paralysis whenever I had an idea that was a little bit outside the box. If it wasn't a traditional, classic decor decision I would question myself, doubt my judgement and chicken out when it came down to execution. 

I still have times where I waver or feel nervous about making the wrong decision or doing something that's a little too "out there", but for the most part now I just do what I like. I've learned that being afraid of my neighbor not "getting" why I have an old paddle hung on my living room wall is a stupid reason not to hang it up. Sure Grandma might gasp when she walks in and sees that I have painted my "Good wood" oak cabinets navy blue on a whim one Suturday, but Grandma (or whoever you feel you have to please) doesn't live here. I do. And if navy cabinets make me happy, then leaving them in their 70's glory is only taking away from my enjoyment of my kitchen and not really making anyone happy.

I guess it all comes down to who I am decorating for. Am I decorating my house to impress people when they come over? Or am I decorating it to make ME happy when I am in it? I am learning more and more that when I decorate freely the way I want to, my home becomes a reflection of our family. Our personalities shine through and all my wacky ideas and thrift store finds help create the atmosphere that I want people to feel when they walk in.

Do I get some raised eyebrows and confused comments sometimes? Sure I do. I live in a small town where everyone has oak cabinets and popcorn ceilings, and 95% of front doors are white. People don't always get my style and decorating ideas that are over-done in the blog/Pinterest world have never been seen by a lot of people here. My brother laughed when he saw that I had hung an old window on my wall . . . it just didn't make sense to him why a cracked old window with flaking paint was being used in place of artwork. And that's ok. Because when I make decorating decisions for ME, I don't feel hurt or like I need to defend myself when someone else teases me a little or just flat out doesn't like what I've done.

Because it's not for them. It's for me and my family, and it's about creating the feeling and the atmosphere that I desire to have in my home. And if I like it, then I should do it. It's not for them anyway.

The view is so much more beautiful when you are looking at something you love. And if someone else doesn't "get" what you are looking at, it's just because they are looking at it from a different viewpoint. 

They might see a pile of old boards, but you see true beauty.

A Fresh Look

Things have been stagnant around here in the decorating department.

We have put all of our interior projects on hold for the summer; we do this every year. Instead we focus on the outside - this year we expanded the flower beds and painted the deck. We spend our DIY time doing things like trimming the hedge, sealing cracks in the driveway, and pulling weeds. And we just slow things down a little to spend more time actually ENJOYING that deck and backyard we work so hard on.

When I'm not working on a project in the house though, I find everything comes to a grinding halt inside. There is no reason for me to rearrange or shuffle decor around, and so I don't. And everything just sits.

Some times I like things to stay the same way for a long time. I struggle with styling, so when I create an arrangement I am actually happy with I tend to keep it that way for a long time. Overall though, I like things to be constantly changing. I get bored staring at the same stack of books and candlesticks, and it is energizing to me to switch things up and shift pieces around the house.

I was sitting on the couch last night and suddenly everything around me felt stagnant. Nothing in the living room has been re-arranged in several months; actually, almost everything in the room is still the way I arranged it after I put away the Christmas decor last year! I suddenly had the urge to freshen things up; I couldn't stand looking at the same stale decor any longer.

It was late, but I knew I would feel refreshed and happy to have a bit of a new look in the living room when I woke up this morning. So I grabbed a white pitcher and headed outside with a pair of scissors.

I clipped the lone peony that had fully opened, and added some stems from a lady's mantle for texture.

Once inside, I cleared off the candles from the piano top and pulled out some different things. I didn't think about it too much, I just placed things that I liked together, choosing objects that were white or neutral in color.

Is it perfect? No. But it feels so good to have a new "look"  to catch your attention as you enter the room.

Little changes like this keep me inspired and energized - do you find that too? I always notice when things around me have become stale that my creativity and desire to work on my house just tank. Sometimes all it takes is moving a few things around or switching out a key piece to bring back that inspired feeling!

Tobacco Cabinet Reveal

Now that this little tobacco cabinet is finished, I look at the before photos and I can hardly believe it started out in such rough condition.

I knew it had potential to be beautiful, but I have to admit that I didn't believe it would turn out SO well! I was thrilled with the results and even now, a few weeks after completing it, I stop and admire it every time I walk by. It is one of my favorite pieces in our home now . . . and it started out looking so shabby.

I sanded the veneer away and applied a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain just to tone down the orange wood. I topped it off with a coat of hemp oil from Miss Mustard Seed. You can see it still absorbing into the wood in the photo below but even so, what a dramatic difference!

For the rest of the cabinet I applied Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in typewriter and gave it a light sanding. I topped it off with two coats of Miss Mustard Seed's furniture wax for a protective finish; the black paint looks amazing and buttery once the wax is applied!

I am so happy with how this piece turned out - I love that it has family history attached to it, and that I was able to make it "me" without compromising it's natural beauty.

The wood top has such amazing detail that I don't want to put anything on it that will cover it up! I am sure it will be loved in our home for a long time and I hope to pass it down to my own girls one day. Pieces with a story  like this are too special not to share!

Sharing at Miss Mustard Seed

An Antique Tobacco Cabinet

A few weeks ago, my husband went to his grandmother's house to help her prepare for a garage sale. He came home a few hours later with some cardboard boxes of children's books, old magazines, some random craft supplies and a treasure; an old side table they had uncovered down in the basement while sorting through things in storage.

This cabinet originally belonged to her grandfather . . . making it my husband's great-great grandfather! A true family heirloom and it was very generously passed on to me; being known for restoring furniture does have it's perks!

I was so thrilled to hear a bit of backstory about this piece. David's grandmother says she can remember it being in her grandfather's house when she was young and that he kept his tobacco and rolling papers inside of it. I am not sure how she came to own it, but it has been stored in her basement for a long time and all but forgotten about, probably because it is in rough condition.

My own family has very little in the way of heirlooms and antiques. My grandparents moved to Canada when my mom was just a little girl and they didn't bring a lot with them - and the few family treasures that do exist have to be doled out among the very large extended family . . . meaning I have never had the experience of owning something that has been passed down through the generations.

When I married my husband, I discovered that his family is bursting with these sorts of things! There are many, many family heirlooms and my mother in law has been incredibly generous with passing most of hers along to me. She saw my passion for vintage pieces and decorating with things that hold meaning, and began giving me gifts of family heirlooms, my engagement ring being one of them. One day I will do a blog post sharing some of the amazing things that I now own thanks to my generous mother in law! It has been so wonderful to "tap in" to a family that has so many pieces with stories behind them.

Despite being quite weathered and worn, this cabinet is still solid. When the door is opened there is still a faint smell of tobacco, which for a girl like me who adores pieces with family history was enough to make me get teary eyed.

The veneer on the top was very damaged; much of the finish is long gone and it was scarred with water spots. I wanted to try to keep the top of the piece natural wood; what a shame to paint over something that was obviously once a beautiful piece with nice detail. Although I knew I would give the body of the cabinet a coat of paint, I was determined to find a way to salvage the top.

The tobacco cabinet, as it's now referred to, sat in my garage for a few weeks before I got up the nerve to touch it. I wanted so badly for it to be perfect that I was afraid to start!

Yesterday the sun was shining and I had an entire evening devoted to working on furniture in the driveway and so I took the plunge and refinished it.

And it looks amazing. Just like I had hoped it would.

It is waiting patiently for me to have the time to do a coat of wax and apply some sealant to the top. As soon as it's finished I will share photos. . . it looks amazing!

It's the Process, not the Product

My house is far from perfect. And I'm not talking about dirty dishes and laundry piles (although I have plenty of those too), I'm talking about the actual house. The renovations, the DIY projects, the repairs, the furniture and decorating.

I have blue bathtubs.

 My bathroom floor is swelling and lifting all around the toilet (TMI I know but I'm being honest here). The entryway tile is cracked in several places and the grout is chocolate brown colored, but it's supposed to be beige. I have a hole cut in my wall where a pipe burst two winters ago, and it's still not patched and painted over. My kitchen countertop is from the early 80's and it's gold fleck suface is covered in holes and cracks and scratches. I have a spare bedroom that is still painted the spiderman-esque red and blue that was left behind by the previous owner's teenage son.

We have lived in this house 2 1/2 years, and we have so far to go. Some times I look around and I feel like we will never get it all done. Aside from a couple of rooms,  I really don't feel like this house reflects "Us" or our style much at all. And I'm a firm believer in having a home that is meaningful and reflective of the people who live there.

I have moments where I feel frustrated with the process. I admit, I've had fantasies about winning the lottery and hiring a designer to make my home beautiful from top to bottom in a matter of weeks. Who wouldn't love that?

But then I come back to reality, and I remind myself of some other things that I believe when it comes to houses.

 -  I believe that homes should be personal. Should be real. Sure, if I wont the lottery I could buy out Pottery Barn and have a beautifully staged home tomorrow. But that's all I would have. A staged home that looks like a page out of the Pottery Barn catalog.

 Real homes should be filled with things that have meaning and are special. A bookshelf full of items rounded up on a Homegoods spree just doesn't convey the same warmth and realness that a bookshelf full of items collected over time does. Sure I could run to the home improvement store and buy everything I need to renovate my bathroom in one shopping trip, but would it be nearly as loved as a bathroom that took two years to renovate and countless hours of searching for "just the right" things would? Certainly not.

There's nothing wrong with Pottery Barn, and I own several things from there and will continue to shop there. But if all you have is room full of hastily purchased, mass produced items from a chain store then your home will always be lacking personality. Lacking realness.

 - I believe that taking time to source out the right supplies and find just the item I imagined is more important than sticking to a timeline. Sometimes I have a specific idea in my head, or even an inspiration photo, of how I want a space in my home to look. In our last two houses, I would start out with an idea and quickly compromise. The store wouldn't have any tile in stock that was similar to what I wanted, so I would settle for something that was "nice" or "good enough". I would set my heart on something and then discover that it was out of my price range, so I'd compromise by purchasing something that I didn't really like but was in my price range.

Now that we are in our long-term house, I have learned not to settle. I don't mean that I buy everything I want regardless of the price; we are on a budget and I can't just blow the bank in order to have an overpriced item just because I want it. But I have learned that if I have patience, I can almost always find what I am looking for at a price point I can afford. 

When we were doing our bathroom renovation, I had my heart set on square white sinks. The local stores didn't have anything square, and the next town over had some Kohler sinks exactly like what I wanted but were triple what I was willing to pay.

So I waited. I searched online regularly, I browsed home improvement store flyers. I stalked Overstock. I had some online friends keeping their eyes open. 

It was frustrating to have to wait. We had removed the medicine cabinet, painted the ceiling and the walls, ordered the countertop. All we were waiting on before we could finish it off were the sinks. It was tempting to just settle on some round sinks and get the project over with, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy with it in the end; I had my heart set on square sinks.

And then one day I was making a purchase on Amazon and before I checked out, on a whim I typed "Square white sink" into the search function. 2 minutes later, I had ordered the perfect sinks at an amazing price with free shipping right to my door.

Our bathroom renovation stretched out to an almost 5 month long process. We could have finished it easily in a few weeks, but we took the time to source out just the right materials and not compromise. And I love it! I am so glad we lived with a half-finished mess of a bathroom for the time we did; it was all worth it in the end.

 - I believe the real value is in the process, not the finished product. In college I took a course on teaching art for children and our instructor drilled this concept into us. It's not about how perfect the finished product looks - it's about how you get there. It's about the experience of creating, of exploring, and learning. Figuring things out as you go along, adjusting, testing.  At the end what you have isn't as important as the experience you HAD creating. 

I find that I get the most enjoyment and satisfaction of the projects that I did myself. I feel most happy with the things that were the hardest to figure out, or took the longest to finish. If someone came in and created my perfect room for me overnight, I would enjoy it, sure . . . but I wouldn't look at it and say "Remember when we built that?" and "Remember when we brought that home from a yard sale and I had to sit with my knees on the dash so it would fit?" 

The stories wouldn't be there. The memories, the pride of accomplishment wouldn't be there. Sure it would be a beautiful room but I know I wouldn't love it as much as if I had brought that room together myself slowly over time.

The experience of creating your dream home is a big part of what makes your home your dream home. Enjoy the process. Don't rush it along just to have a "finished" room. So what if you have to live with shag carpeting for another six months until you find the perfect hardwood flooring? In the end you will have the look you wanted and the thrill of finding just the right item, at just the right price. There's nothing like it! It's an easy trade off for a few extra months of living with that shag carpeting because you will forever enjoy the results of your hard work and perserverance.

I won't say that I am completely content to wait and have my house evolve over time. I get frustrated and I want things to look pretty; it's actually stressful for me to live with things that aren't visually pleasing because I am such a visual person.

I have my moments of wishing I could just jump into the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog, sure. But then I look around my home and I see all the stories that are in every piece. The memories attached to all of the rooms that we have worked on. And I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I just wish I could hurry it along just a little bit!

Spiderman room, I'm coming for you!

The Confident Bargain Hunter

I love to shop yard sales! I am a major bargain hunter and yard sales provide such a thrill for me, as well as being one of my best sources for refinishing projects.

I didn't use to be this way though. I remember as a kid, the dreaded mornings that my mom would drag me around in the car to yard sales. I was sooooo embarrassed to be bargain hunting in people's driveways and whenever we drove up to a sale where we knew the owners, I felt humiliated. I don't know why . . . it's not like we were so poor that we had to scrounge garage sales for the necessities, it was just something my mom enjoyed to do as a hobby. And there were always lots of cars pulling up and other people sorting through the tables alongside us, even though this was before thrifting and bargain hunting was "cool."

When I first started going to garage sales as an adult, that old familiar feeling came right along with me. I would sheepishly meander over to the famous telephone pole in the middle of town where all the garage sale signs were stapled and scribble down addresses as fast as I could and drive away.

I would do casual drive bys of the garage sales, and only stop at ones where there were lots of other people so I would blend in. I was terrified of being the only person there and feeling pressured to buy something even if I didn't find anything I wanted. If a sale was down a road I wasn't familiar with, I would get nervous and turn around if I didn't find it quickly or if it was very far to go. I would usually skip half of the sales, purely out of fear or being uncomfortable.

Now I am a confident yard sale shopper, but it took me some time before I let the stigma of being a crazy yard sale lady stop me from missing out on good bargain, or the fear of getting lost or wasting my time on a sale full of junk prevent me from even taking a look.

Some people might not understand this, but I am betting there are lots of people out there who can relate. They want to be one of those people who find amazing home decor and designer clothes for a song, but they lack the confidence to get out there and become an aggessive bargain hunter.

I want to share some tips that I have learned along the way, and if you are one of those people who balks at the idea of braking for yard sales, hopefully this will help you to change your mind and be brave enough to venture out of the car!

1. Go early.

(frame purchased at a yard sale for $5 - I had a glass shop cut the mirror to fit)

 But not too early. Around here at least, if a sign says the sale starts at 9 there is a good chance they will be swarmed with people by 8:30. It can be upsetting to the family running the sale who is still trying to set up and price items, and often they are less willing to bargain or answer questions because they are overwhelmed or frustrated.

I know it's tempting to try and beat the crowds to get to the best stuff first, but try and remember that it's just a yard sale. There will always be more, and there will always be awesome finds. . . being respectful of the person hosting the sale is much more important than beating someone else to a .99 picture frame.

I do get out and about early though. I grab a coffee, stop at the spot where all the yard sale advertisements are posted, and either snap pics with my phone or jot them down on paper. Then I arrange them by opening time, and come up with the best route to hit all of them without wasting gas. Don't forget to check Facebook and Craigslist for listings as well!

Usually I show up at the first sale a few minutes early, but only a few. And I always wait in my car until the appointed time unless there are other shoppers and the hosts look ready and hospitable!

2. Bring the right cash.

Nothing is more awkward than standing there with a $50 bill in one hand and a $2 item in the other, blinking at a teenager who has a wad full of five dollar bills and some dimes to make change with.

As a "nervous yard saler" this used to make me feel like I needed to buy a bunch more items to make it easier for them to make change, even if there was nothing else there I really wanted. Or I would put the item back and walk away, all because I felt bad asking them to make change for a large bill.

It never hurts to ask if they can make change for a $50, but its much better to come prepared in the first place. This means plenty of change and some small bills. If you are on the hunt for big ticket items it never hurts to keep a wad of bigger bills handy in case you find the perfect item, but most yard sales are small things like paperbacks and knick knacks - and are more likely to be priced in pennies than dollars.

3. Don't be afraid to dig.

(Stool purchased at a yard sale for $3)

Most yard sales have things laid out on tables or spread across the lawn for easy viewing. But don't pass over the cardboard boxes and Rubbermaid bins! Sometimes a little digging can produce amazing treasures, and as a bonus, usually people who just throw out boxes of jumbled items are less organized and don't have everything priced. This gives you a better chance at bargaining to get a good deal! I once found a vintage wood headboard behind a pile of junk at a barn sale for $10!

4. Ask, ask, ask

This one was hard for me at first. I am naturally shy around people I don't know, and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to ask a question but was too afraid or uncomfortable to.

Now I have gotten my "Yard sale legs" I have no problem marching up to the seller and asking my questions. And you know what? 9 times out of 10 the answer is yes! They usually aren't having the sale to make big bucks, they are just trying to get rid of unwanted items. Most sellers are more than happy to show you how something works, let you plug it in to test it out, or tell you where it came from. And I have never been told no when I have asked for help to carry a heavy item to my car or if I can put an item on hold until I can come back with a truck big enough to haul it away.

Don't walk away from an item because you had a question or were unsure about something. If you aren't sure if it will fit in your car, ask them if you can try to fit it in first. If you need help to carry it, they will be happy to do so in exchange for your money and taking the item away. It may feel awkward at first, but asking questions is much less scary than you work it out to be in your head.

And if you find something you really like, it never hurts to ask if they have more items like it. If I find a sale with several pieces of furniture or a box full of vintage dishes I will ask "Do you have any more you'd be willing to sell?" Often someone is thinning out a collection and has plenty more inside that they would be willing to part with if you made a reasonable offer.

5.  Take Risks

(coffee table purchased at a yard sale for $10 and refinished)

No, I don't mean wander inside some man's living room all alone, or drive down a back road alone with no cell phone. I always carry my phone with me and if there is anything that sets off my danger radar, I leave immediately. I always let my husband know where I am going beforehand, and I often bring a friend with me especially if I am going to be driving down quiet back roads.

What I mean is, don't skip out on a yard sale because you aren't sure how to find the house. That's what Google Maps is for! And some of my best finds have been from sales that I have driven down bumpy gravel roads for half an hour to find. Don't write off a sale just because it's not in a "rich" neighborhood either - the fancy new neighborhoods don't always have the best stuff and usually their prices are sky high anyway!

It's also worth the risk to ask for a better price. I like to bargain, but I also like to be respectful and not haggle over pennies. I usually ask things like "Is this the best price?" or "Can you go any lower?" and see what they say. It feels uncomfortable to ask, but usually you can be rewarded with a better price and the worst thing they can say is no!