BIG LIFE CHANGES

I know this is a rare Monday posting, but I can finally share the big changes that are happening in my life.

A few months ago I woke up one morning and decided it was time to sell my apartments.

I called a realtor I had worked with last year and told him I was ready to sell. At 3:30 that afternoon he brought me an acceptable offer.

I have owned these apartments for 23 years.

At first I was a bit “sad.” After all, they have been my “career” for 23 years…they are what I do!

The income has provided me with the ability to provide for my children and give them a good life.

I’m only 56…I still feel like I have a few good years in me.

Yes, I am giving up a decent income. I have to roll the profit into other investment properties, specifically rental homes, but they will not produce near the income the apartments have. But that is okey…sometimes you have to sacrifice quantity for quality. The “quality” of my life will be greatly improved.

Yes, I am “starting over” at 56. The new rental homes will not take up near the time the apartments did…so the question now is what will I do with all this free time. Trust me…I am not one to sit around on my hands. I have no doubt I will find SOMETHING to do!

It’s been a stressful few months…I’m usually awake and ticking by 3 a.m. and at this point I feel like I am running on fumes.

So naturally I did what I do when I am stressed and frazzled…I went out and found something else to fret about.

We bought a new home.

For years I have wanted to “down size.” Now that we are empty nesters we don’t need a big house with three empty bedrooms upstairs and a huge yard to care for.

So naturally I went out and found a house that is WAY bigger than what we have now and has a large yard that needs TONS of work.

After a lifetime of owning “projects” I wondered if I might have ONE MORE project in me. I guess I am getting ready to find out.

The new home is waaay more “traditional” than I like…but it has soooo much potential. It has good bones and a workable floor plan!

The kitchen and master bath are complete gut jobs…and after a lifetime of living in “remodel messes” I have decided that this work will be contracted out and we will not move until the big, messy work is done!

The big wall between the kitchen and living room will go away, as well as all the cabinets, and I plan on putting a humungus island smack dab in the middle of the existing kitchen.

The wall on the far right with the glass cabinets will become the “cooking” center with a cook top, wall oven and microwave. And the coolest tile backsplash in the whole world. I can’t wait to share!

No need for lots of upper cabinets because it has a huge walk in pantry!

This is the “sitting room” adjacent to the kitchen…

One way to “detradionalize” this home will be to replace the arched transoms with rectangle ones…a bit of work since it will require brick and sheetrock repair. This is on my list of things to do, but closer to the bottom.

The quickest, simplest and cheapest way to “detradionalize” is to remove all the crown molding around the cased openings and windows! The crown around the ceiling will stay!

Another way is to change out light fixtures…that is closer to the top of the list along with removing carpet and adding more hardwood flooring (yes they are REAL hardwood floors) and refinishing them all with just a clear coat…no stain!

The fireplaces? Yes those will eventually get redesigned…again, not something I will tackle right this minute but it is on “the list!”

The master bathroom…ICK!!!! Suffice it to say, it is a gut job!

Right now I am in the process of “making the plan.” Meeting with tile guys and cabinet makers and flooring companies…getting quotes and ideas. Making a list of what HAS to be done…wants vs. immediate needs.. As always there are things I WANT to do but I might not be able to do right this minute…they stay on the list, just closer to the bottom.

I have a life time of inspiration to pull from but I am still grabbing pictures from the Pinterest and the internet. I pretty much know what I want…

Now that we have closed, it is time to “execute the plan.” We start this week with demo…and then I will work the plan from there.

One by one I will be closing the new rental houses and hopefully creating a “new career.”

These are the big life changes that are going down in my world! Huge!

While the apartments have been stressful and back breaking at times, they were my “career”…they were what I did to provide for my family. Saying good-bye is like retiring and moving on to another career.

This house has been our home for 20 years…it is where I raised my children and I have poured my money, talents and time into this house to create a home.

It will be tough to walk away from both…but that is what is going on in my life and I am super excited about the next chapter…whatever that may be!

Master bath reveal!

I KNOW! I have been MIA for a while now….there is just soooo much going on right now that I can not share! I promise, in due time.

In the meantime, AGAIN, I want to revisit one of my all time favorite “makeovers.”

I revealed my master bath makeover almost two years ago and I can honestly say I STILL love this bathroom. Love it! I don’t missed the tub at all and the walk-in shower is still my favorite addition to this house!

Head over to this post and check out the transformation and MAYBE next week I’ll have something new to share!

Swing pergola tutorial....

The past few months have been super busy and honestly a little over-whelming. (When I can, I will share.)

As a result I haven’t had a lot of time to do many DIY projects around the house. Which of course explains my absence last week. For now, the best I can do is link back to some of my all-time favorite projects!

One of my all time favorite projects was the swing pergola. As I mentioned in the earlier post, I have built several over the years!

This is a picture of one of the pergolas pre storage building update and we now have a privacy fence along the back of the lot. I meant to take a “current” photo, but see above!

With so many people at home looking for “projects,” this little build is perfect!

It takes a few days and will require a few sets of hands, but it is doable.

Trust me, you will get HOURS of enjoyment out of it! And maybe even a few naps!

(And remember, wear a mask when you pick up materials!)

How to paint your front door properly...

I have been super busy with things other than DIY projects. But one project I did manage to do this past week was repaint my front door…just a quick little one coat “refresher.”

My tutorial for painting an exterior door gets a lot of traffic so I though I would link back to that post just in case you need a little help.

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I also painted house numbers on the door and I shared that tutorial HERE.

Remember, not everyone will see you newly remodeled bathroom or organized linen closet…but almost every guest will see your front door…keep it nice!!!

This is just one of the little projects I managed to get worked in this past week in the midst of some “big stuff” that I will share when I can.

In the meantime, I may be linking back to some little projects ANYONE can do! So if you are new around here you might want to stay tuned for some basic tutorials!


Guest room decor and a little history.....

Last fall I shared a little “makeover” of the frames of these portraits of my great-great-great and my great-great grandmother. They hung in the guest room above the bed…

I never really LOVED these portraits and my daughter swears they gave her nightmares when she came to visit. I have to admit, they are a tad on the “ghoulish” side even with lighter and brighter frames.

Before I reveal the changes I made, I have to share this “small world” story!

A friend of mine tagged a friend of his on Facebook on an article about a house his friend owns…a house he now runs as a B&B in Arkansas City, Arkansas.

The minute I saw it, I knew it was the house my great-great grandparents (Hubert and Ionia Furr) built in 1910…the house my great grandmother grew up in and my grandmother was born in! (My great great grandmother is the portrait on the right, her mother on the left!)

I immediately contacted the owner…he had very little history on the house other than what was written up in the National Register bio. I, being the keeper of the family photos and documents, have sooooo much more!

Poor guy…I flooded his email with pictures of my great great grandparents, the house and all the documents I could find.

I think one of the neatest things I have is a picture of the house while it was being constructed…

I won’t bore you with all the pictures and documents I have about this home and my ancestors and the little town in southeast Arkansas.

But this house and the people who resided there have a tremendous amount of history.

It is the house where my ancestors lived during the 1918 pandemic. A flu pandemic that killed almost 700,000 in the United States and 50 MILLION world wide.

The house also survived the great flood of 1927 that wiped out most of the town and actually changed the course of the Mississippi River.

While I was digging through all the family documents looking for more information on the house to share, I ran across this letter…written by my great-great grandmother during the flood of 1927 to my great-grandmother….


I won’t post pictures of the entire letter, but this is the transcript…

Arkansas City, Sat ? (postmarked May 3, 1927)

Dear children-

Am going to make this do for both you girls. Haven’t heard from you in more than 2 weeks and twill be 2 weeks Tues. since we have had a newspaper. Everything is closed here on account of water-we have 85 inches inside the house only 5 steps of the stairway being visible. You can imagine my state of mind as the South Bend break will give us more water by tomorrow I suppose. We go in and out of the house through the middle bedroom window in your old bedroom. I step off the roof onto a floating dock where I keep the chickens. Only lost two by drowning.

Water came in town last Sunday 2:30 and was 2 ft deep in 20 minutes. I waded above my knees getting up the hens and by dark it was in the house. It has been raining ever since til today when it has fallen ½ in. to get ready for the next rise. The wood shed and garage bucked up and Daddy has wired them to keep them from floating off in a storm. The teacherage is entirely under water and lots of other houses.

The town is simply ruined. An airplane takes the mail and your telegraphs were sent by radio by way of Memphis and so had to be sent collect.

I am so worried because we can’t send Gladys’s board money and do hope the matron will wait on her or that you will take her to your house for this last month. We have no way to get the money tho the levee board owes Daddy $125 or $150 which will be paid when this strain is over. The youngsters run bateaux on the bank porch so of course the bank is closed for the time. Please help us out in this pinch and we will make it up to you some way. I do hope the next rise will not be much for 2 ft. will ruin the ceiling.

The Matthews are upstairs in 2 small rooms. 2 of the boys sleep over here and they seem to be having a good time. Of course all my flowers are done for the crude oil is killing the vine on the house. Most every one lost their chickens. Lawrence Demarke (?) must have lost over 1000 also Emmat Furlong. The water came too fast to let them be picked up.

I suppose all Watson is nearly washed away. Mr. Kemp’s house disappeared as did everybody elses. The little Dollar house is on the Pike if it hasn’t fallen to pieces.

The break at Scott Miss. Saved us from the Miss. R. as we would have broken either at Chicot or Fulton inside of 3 or 4 hours. The river fell here nearly 2 ft. the first day and is much lower now than it is on the inside of the levee. Several hundred tents are on the levee and it is a queer sight. The govt is feeding them and the negros seem so happy.

We will have no more school this term. The girls left for Memphis and I guess they finally got to Conway. Betsye is at the hotel tho’ Daddy and I both invited her to stay with us. Bro. Still’s furniture is in the water upon a scaffold not high enough. All Mrs. Cunningham’s furniture and best clothes are in her house with the water up to the roof. I left most of my dishes downstairs so I guess they will be lost.

Well I hope you girls and your girls also Bill are well and happy. Want to hear from you soon and find how Gladys arranges for her board. Daddy is well and busy helping the distressed.

Granny Muff died this afternoon in a box car. Will be buried on the mound.

Love to you all and if we are washed away dispose of the remains as you please, Mother

I share all this for one reason.

To remind you…our country and our ancestors have survived pandemics and floods and wars.

Like our ancestors we too will survive…and we will thrive. We just have to stay positive and focused on our future! In 100 years our great great grand children will be sharing stories of our strength and endurance during difficult times….we are living proof!

So now the changes…heirlooms in their own right and a bit more cheerful.

These prints are from Hawaii and Bermuda…my parents traveled there in the 80s and these have been in my mother’s home for 30+ years. She is in the process of distributing a few things in her house so I took them and reframed them and decide they would be perfect in the guest room!

They are a tad off-center so at some point I probably need to rehang them. Someday…nice thing about this room, I literally only go in it a handful of times a year, before and after guests. Unlike wall decor in my living room or bedroom, this isn’t going to keep me up nights…lol!

Maybe I can find a narrow something-or-another to hang on the left to balance it out.

Not sure what I will do with the ancestral portraits…but I will find some where perfect for them…eventually.


How to set stone in your lawn...

My first love is flagstone…I share HERE how I created a little flagstone patio in the front of the house…

This was a massive project and required “excavating” a large area.

My project this week is the same process but “small scale.”

My mother offered my Granddad’s grindstones that my dad had set in their yard as a pathway.

There are a few things I have that make me see “old ladyish”…my grandmother’s china and hutch, an old camera collection, a few knick knacks here and there…and certainly a grindstone pathway in the yard would qualify. Truth be told, I can not pass up anything that is a family heirloom.

If you don’t know what a grindstone is, google it.

Nifty stones that were originally used to sharpen tools. I have no idea if my grandfather actually used them for their intended purpose but I believe they were set in his yard as stepping stones…and my dad got them and did the same.

So now I have moved them to my house…and this past weekend I set them in the yard.

I had already set a few of them when I realized it would be a great way to show you how I create a path set in the ground…no worries about having to mow around it.

Whether you use grindstones, slabs of wood, bricks or flagstone…this is the way to property set them individually to create a “stepping path.” I have found that this method creates the least destruction to existing turf. You can even do it before you seed or lay sod.

The first thing you want to do is lay them out where you want them.

Look at them from every angle…maybe walk on them to see if they “step right.”

Once you have them laid out where you want them, it is time to get down to the REAL work. (I will refer to “stone” because that is what I used…again, you can create a path with just about any durable material!)

First, take a shovel and go around the stone… about 1'“-2” from the edge of the stone…keep the shovel straight and go into the ground at least 4”. (My stones were about 2” thick and I want at least a 2” bed of sand and soil to set the stone on.) You are basically using the stone as a template.

Once you have gone around the entire stone, just flip it out of the way for the time being.

Since my yard was sodded, I wanted to salvage the sod and use it to fill in a few bare spots here and there…so I used my shovel to carefully remove the sod…

I used a little hand rake to remove the bulk of the dirt off the piece of sod and relocated it to the bare spots.

Then I used the shovel and my hands to remove all the excess dirt in the hole. I put it in a bucket and used it in an area of the yard that need a little fill.

I made the hole about 4” deep, then I added sand.

You can buy bags of “play sand” or even “paver base.” Just make sure you put some kind of sand or base in the hole to create a stable, level bed free of rocks and debris. .

I would suggest hosing down the sand just to make sure it is packed well…your goal here is to create a level, compact bed for the stone to set on.

Once the sand is leveled, replace the stone and make any adjustment by lifting and filling where needed.

I used the dirt I removed from the hole to fill in around the stone.

Once all the stones were set, I saturated them…this forces the dirt around the stones to seep under the stones and also lets you see which ones may need to be lifted and additional sand toss under.

Step on them and make sure they seem “firm.” I had one that “rocked” so I lifted it and added sand. As the dirt around the stones seeped underneath I added more and plugged in a few pieces of sod.

With a little water and sun I expect the grass to fill back in nicely over the next few weeks!

(You can see HERE how I dolled up the storage shed a bit!)

I saved a little dirt in the bucket because I know some of the soil around the stone may compact a bit. Also, this part of my yard is fescue so I may have to over-seed a bit…but that is okay! I like the look and even though it may be a little “old ladyish” I have a walking path that has a little bit of sentimental value.

Perfect!

How to build a shop or garden cart...

I’m kinda bad at posting “tutorials.” There are SOOO many tutorials online for just about anything you want to do and my motto is to FIND THE ONE THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR YOU!!!!

That being said, I am going to TRY to post a tutorial for building a cart…for either your “shop” or maybe a deck or garden cart…or even a little portable kitchen island.

I shared here how I took an old shop cart I bought at an auction and cleaned it up for use as a kitchen island.

The function will dictate the materials you will want to use. If it is something that will be outdoors, you want to use pressure treated wood or even cedar. If it is something that will be in your garage or “shop” you can use plain ole’ pine…if you want something a little fancier, like maybe a kitchen island, you want to find some nicer wood that can be stained and oiled and used in food prep.

In this case, my daughter Katie, wanted something she could put her chop saw and tools on and roll in and out of the house. Kind of like my old shop cart….

…another auction find that I fixed up a tad to use in my garage. It holds my chop saw so when I need to use it I can just wheel it outside so sawdust doesn’t get all over the garage. And the bottom shelf holds many of my tools! Not pretty but super functional!

Since her cart won’t be stored outside, I decided to build the bulk of her cart out of pine 2 x 4s. The tops are 1 x 6 treated decking, but only because it is the perfect sizing…not because I necessarily needed the pressure treated wood.

So my shop cart is my “inspiration.”

The next thing I did was “make a plan.”

Again, whether you are building something simple, refinishing a dresser, or giving a room a makeover, you have to first find your inspiration, then make a plan.

In this case, “the plan” is a simple little drawing with dimensions and a material list.

Originally the plan was based on my cart dimensions…but Katie decided she wanted her’s a tad smaller, 20 x 30, so that altered the dimensions and materials just a tad. I ended up using only 1 of the 2x4x10s and 3 of the 1x6x8s.

Important reminder: a 2 x 4 is actually only 1 1/2 x 3 1/2…2x6 material is actually only 1 1/2 x 5 1/2….only the length is actual. This is important when designing any build so make sure you know what the actual dimensions are of any wood you buy. This chart can be super helpful….

I could have bought 4x4 material to make the “legs” but decided to just “stack” two 2x4s…personal preference. If you decided to use 4x4 material, skip this step and buy 2- 4x4x6 posts and cut them down to 31” each.

The legs will be 31” because I wanted the height of the finished cart to be around 35”. The wheels I used are 3” high and the top is 1” thick.

Again, I used 2 x4s to construct the legs….

I cut 8 pieces 31”, glued (SUPER important to glue ALL joints)….

….stacked, nailed with my new Mother’s Day gift (LOVE!)….

…then screwed them together with 2 1/2” screws.

I nailed them first just to hold them in place…then I added screws.

After each leg was built, I attached the wheels to one end of each using 2” screws!

Next I built the top and shelf “frames.” Since Katie wanted it to be 20” x 30”, I cut 4 boards 29” (the face) and four boards 16”….the 16” boards are the sides. (1 1/2” thickness of each of the face boards = 3”…basically a 19x29 frame allowing 1/2” for overhang on the top)

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I used my kreg jig to construct the tops….

…if you don’t have a Kreg jig, get one! Or you can just glue and screw the top together.

Then it was time to attach the frames to the legs.

I used screws and glue to attach them and since I wanted the screw holes on the front to be a tad fancier, I used my little “hide the screw” trick.

In this case I used 3/8” wood plugs to cover each screw hole…first I drilled a hole with a 3/8” bit about 1/4” deep, then I used a 1/16” bit to finish drilling all the way through the board.

TIP: Predrilling holes will keep the wood from splitting when you use screws!

I attached the legs to the frames using 3” screws through the “predrilled” holes and glue (GLUE IS IMPORTANT! USE IT!)

On the sides, I just used screws…no fancy holes or plugs!

I added the little plugs…just a dab of glue in the little holds, then popped them in…super simple but a nice detail!

After the frame is constructed it is just a matter of adding the tops…again, I used 1 x 6 pressure treated decking boards. I cut them to fit, glued and nailed. Simple….

I added a little handle made from galvanized pipe and fittings….

You don’t have to add a handle or you can keep it simple by using a cabinet pull…I just like the “industrial” look of the galvanized material….

I also attached a power strip to the back…again, not something you have to do!

Super simple build! Seriously, this is not hard!

That being said, you do want a little chop saw and cordless drill to construct this project (nailer and kreg jig are option!).

But if you took my advice, you have these tools…and now you have a nifty place to store them!









Making cabinet doors shut!

This is a super simple DIY “home improvement” project.

I would never give it a second thought had my neighbor, Carolyn, not been looking for a fix for her cabinet doors that seemed to be possessed. No matter how well she shut them, they would open. To solve for the problem she bought sticky velcro….a novel fix for a simple problem but they do actually make little magnet thingies to solve this problem.

Truth is, I have several cabinets that have the same issue…no matter how much I adjust the hinges (and it usually is a hinge issue) the doors never want to close all the way.

I told Carolyn about the little magnet thingies so she bought a few and it took us all of about 5 minutes to put two on the offending cabinet doors.

Which made me wonder why I haven’t done this on MY cabinet doors. Seriously.

So this week while I was in Lowes I picked up a few of these little “cabinet door magnets.”

Super simple to install…you can either place them at the top of the cabinet or at the base…personally I say place them where they are least noticeable.

Walla! Cabinet doors will now stay firmly closed but are still super easy to open with little resistance.

Such an easy fix for a simple problem!

It only took me 20 years to do it.

Kitchen counter top reveal....

Time and again I have made changes to my kitchen in my quest for “lighter and brighter.”

This past week was another piece to the puzzle in this quest…

I LOVE the white quart counter tops. LOVE!

In my quests for “lighter and brighter,” I started with under-the-counter lighting…an absolute must in any kitchen.

I swear it doubled the usable work space!

If you don’t have it, get it…seriously.

Then I popped up some cabinets, added floating shelves and some glass doors.

These awesome changes made a huge difference!

Then the last little makeover…new tile backsplash, larger window and more glass doors….

Then there was the addition of the black stainless appliances…one at a time, but eventually the stove, microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher all matched again!

All these changes have made a big impact…but I was still missing “something.”

I shared how I acquired my stunning granite…at an auction for a fraction of its retail cost. I had it installed nine years ago and it looked amazing!

It’s not that I grew to dislike the granite…I loved it. But my kitchen is relatively small and I just felt that even with all the “light and bright” changes, it still “felt” small and dark.

A couple of years ago I update my bar top with white quartz.

I absolutely love it…the quartz made a HUGE difference in the look and feel of the space and I have found it to be exceptionally durable and easy to care for.

When I did my mini makeover in the guest bath, I went with the white quartz again.

Now there was no question what I wanted in my kitchen. It was just a matter of affording it.

Quartz counter tops are not something I would suggest “DIYing” and while I really WANTED new tops, they weren’t really a NEED.

My rule of thumb…always ask, is it a need or a want?

“Wants” are okay…just as long as you don’t go into debt. So for a time I saved my pennies so I could afford new tops without digging into my savings or going into debt.

This past week they were installed.

Being a DIYer at heart I had to get in on the action just a tad. I used this AMAZING little tool to cut through the caulk between the old tops and the backsplash…

I have no idea how I managed without this tool for the first 54 years of my life! Add this one to your “must have” gift list!

I decided to change out the double bowl stainless sink to a single bowl black stainless.

I love it! I would like to have a black stainless faucet but I didn’t get around to ordering one in time…maybe someday. Right now I don’t find the stainless faucet terribly offensive.

My “baking corner”….

(The pink roses are from a bush Sarah and Joel gave me last year for Mother’s Day…I love gifts that keep giving! And in case you are wondering, I take my own advice…I asked for and received a battery trim nailer this year from my kiddos for Mother’s Day! LOVE!)

In case you are wondering if under cabinet lighting is worth it…this is the same corner pre-lights. I know the backsplash and top is lighter now, but just adding the lights made the space usable rather than just a big black hole!

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I love the white tops with the black stainless appliances and the travertine backsplash! That backsplash is amazing but I really think it was over shadowed by the “busyness” of the granite. Now it really shines!

My quest for “lighter and brighter” took a HUGE leap with the addition of these tops. I LOVE them. Yes, they are just plain white…but in a kitchen with a beautiful backsplash and stained cabinets, they look great!!!

My neighbor ask me what my next big project will be…hum, I’ll have to think on that!

Wall planters....

My counter tops will be installed tomorrow… I AM SOOOO EXCITED!

I will share those next week but until then I wanted to share a simple little addition to my kitchen decor.

For some time I have wanted to grow herbs for cooking but I really don’t have the space for planters on my counters. I guess I could put some on the deck, but I just have this vision of reaching over and pinching off a fresh herb while I cook!

(Keep in mind if I have garlic, salt, and pepper, I’m good. And trust me, when these herbs croak, the planters will be filled with fake greenery.)

When I posted this picture last week, I realized I have the perfect spot for herb planters….

On the side of the upper cabinet!!!

So I went searching for wall planters on Amazon.

I found two…these

And these….

I wasn’t sure which I would like better, so I ordered both.

I like the diamond ones better…

As you can see I only used three….Katie took the “spare.” I had planned to return the other set but she liked those as well, soooooo.

So far I have planted rosemary and thyme…I would like to plant cilantro as well, but in the meantime I used a little fake greenery I had on hand.

This window doesn’t get direct sunlight so I am not sure any will thrive. No biggy…the faux greenery looks pretty decent.

Time will tell!

I worry that the little planters make that space seem kind of “cluttered.” Maybe when the plain white tops are installed it won’t seem so busy…we’ll see BECAUSE THEY WILL BE HERE TOMORROW!!! YEAH BABY!