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Middle Garage Pt. 1
Ah, the space between the laundry room and the ‘new garage.’ We call this the middle garage. This room was the first addition that my grandparents added to the house after they moved in. When family would visit, this is the way we came in because there is an outside door that leads through to the inside of the house. As a child, I wasn’t particularly fond of being in there. It felt like a scary, dark tunnel you had to muster up the courage to walk through in order to reach Narnia. Stacks of boxes & various items towered above, reaching into the rafters. The following pictures illustrate how…
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Dawn Redwood
It’s been nearly six months since Gavin & I got married. Time has a funny way of rolling right along day by day, then when you look back from a certain vantage point, so much has taken place. Not being able to see the forest through the trees kind of feeling. But the change of seasons can serve as a measuring tool of how far you’ve come when you look at the bigger picture. Summer for us has brought marriage, new jobs, a new home & the acclimatization of living with another human being. Each in itself has brought its own challenges & learning curve. Having spent the entirety of…
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Rest
There is so much that can be learned by the changing of the seasons. Watching the leaves slowly turn from lively green to shades of an evening sunset, then eventually letting go & making their way to the ground. This reminds me that change is necessary. A sense of beauty from ashes. A shedding of what no longer is to prepare for what is to come. I’ve found that especially true this fall. I feel myself beginning to nestle in for the coming chilly months ahead. Darkness is looming earlier each day, causing a shorter-than-usual work day at the house. While summer has been filled with unpacking, hauling, cleaning, digging,…
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Vineyard
Homestead: noun – A place where a family makes its home, including the land, house, and outbuildings. [Collins English Dictionary] Gavin & I have a vision for the property – to accentuate its beauty while utilizing & cultivating the plot of land that we’ve been blessed with. With my daydreams of self-sustainability & his vast knowledge of horticulture, I believe we will one day makes those dreams come true. Though, just as with the inside of the house, I’m learning that everything takes time & an incredible amount of backbreaking work. We began cultivating the land in May, 2017 before we officially moved in. Although I was set on jumping into…
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Hop Garden
My dad has been growing hops for years. (There’s some still growing on the property from when he lived in the house as a teenager.) I first became familiar with the climbing green plant from him. Though, some people look at me funny when I say Gavin & I are growing hops. “What are hops?” they ask. The following is a brief explanation for those who may be foreign to the craft beer scene. Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant Humulus lupulus.[1] They are used primarily as a bittering, flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they, beyond bitterness, impart floral, fruity or citrusy flavors and aroma;[2] though they are…
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Changing Seasons
A change of season is upon us, with September passing through like an old friend. Pumpkins & apples decorate the grocery stores, the scent of fresh rain lingers in the air after a morning thunderstorm. The busyness of summer is beginning to slow its pace & settle into a comfortable stride. We may pause & catch our breath, enjoying the view of where we’ve arrived, thus far. For myself, I offer the change in seasons an especially warm welcome. The past several months have felt like sprinting uphill. However, I’m learning that nothing we go through is forever & that pure, hard work creates change. And remembering why we do what we do…
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Bedroom Progression
We began cleaning out ‘The Christmas Tree Room’ in early summer of 2017. I give my mom all of the credit for her ceaseless wrapping of every dish & fragile item that was found. Virtually everything in this room was kept & stored away by her efforts. At this time, there was little talk of Gavin & me ever moving in. The goal was simply to clean out the house. But ‘simply’ was never a word that came to mind as we began this pursuit. “You can do this, start with the items in the doorway & work your way in. It is possible.” Those heartening words from my parent’s…
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Before it was Our Bedroom
This was the room where everyone gathered. And this is where my earliest memories of the home most reside. Every Christmas Eve, my brother, sister, parents, cousins, aunts & uncles would huddle in, ‘The Christmas Tree Room’ as we called it. Wrapping paper strewn about and heaps & heaps of presents to be opened. I remember real wooden baby doll chairs & cribs, art supplies, clothes & board games piling up beside me as I unopened each gift. My grandmother’s passion for shopping gave her the eye for the perfect presents for us kids. What I remember most about the room itself was the large stand that elevated the Christmas…
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Bedroom Color: How Do You Choose?
Picking your bedroom color ultimately depends on your personal preference & taste. However, there are some factors to take into consideration before the roller hits the wall. 1st: The feel that you’d like your room to have. Here’s some examples, see which word most appeals to you & perhaps your significant other. Uplifting Relaxing Sensual Restorative Romantic Calming Soothing Quiet Energetic Playful Light Dark Spiritual Feminine Masculine Creative Comforting Inviting If none of those are right for you, try imaging how you’d like it to feel as you walk into the room. What word describes that feeling? Keep in mind that your bedroom serves as your haven of rest at…
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Medallion Restoration
The medallion on the ceiling in the upstairs hallway was one project I looked forward to with a lot of anticipation. Because of the intricacy & age of the piece (we believe it to be original to the house circa 1800’s) I felt it a privilege to be able to work on it. During the time period when it was created, plaster medallions were of high popularity & served as a symbol of wealth for the middle & upper class society. It also illustrated the homeowner’s personal style, aesthetics & architecture of the house itself. Medallions would be placed on the ceiling where guests would be most apt to see…
