reveal time with shiny happy pictures
of styled polished spaces;
my best estimate now is Christmas, and
I'll be so relieved to not so much show it off,
as begin to relax and make memories here.
Remember where we began in week one?
We had no idea week two would bring more surprises.
or that this bathroom actually didn't look half bad...
before
since things got a lot worse before they got better.
during...week 8
almost there...let's do something to that window!
One of my favorite vignettes from week 16
which honestly depicts where we brushed our teeth
each morning...yes, the bathroom faucet had been
spray painted white to look new in marketing photos
online...yes, I must have been out of mind to not
even tidy the basin up for a photo for you.
there are a few left...upcoming adventures?
New doors!
(read the pity party rant and don't judge)
A garden shed.
Completion of landscape
(oh my gosh, you guys, we
just went ahead and tackled
it ourselves)
Decorating
Media room*
*that's fancyspeak for "making the lower level
less dungeon-like yet still moody for TV and video games
since we moved into a cottage
swallowed up in weeds with:
no kitchen, leaky plumbing,
stained yellow ceilings,
one working bath,
and a hundred projects
requiring our attention
and checkbook.
We had never done a whole house.
By ourselves.
I grew teary reflecting tonight since
a year ago, our Bella Luna was
struggling and couldn't
do the stairs, could barely see
or hear, and was in pain at a time
we ourselves were struggling
to get comfortable.
We have learned so much
about the costs of renovation.
It's not just the body and some sanity you sacrifice in the work.
You forfeit a social life.
the dining room wall in week 6
before
There's this domino effect we all see played out
in "reality" shows on TV where addressing
one problem leads to another and then another.
Except that invisible crew of 30 tradespeople
who resolve the issues in less than 30 minutes
of air time are absent when your reality
is a DIY whole house reno and you
and your partner have careers.
Exhibit A.
It's not just that the shower leaked
for years, but that said shower floor is located
directly above an electrical circuit box
below...and moisture within walls breeds yuck...
and addressing yuck involves demolishing walls
that you never intended to demolish and then re-build.
Right? Yeah, you get it.
Fixing and replacing and updating
is gratifying, but it leaves little time
to enjoy the fruits of the labor.
It would all be just too much if it weren't for...
L O V E.
We love each other and love design.
We love our sons, and both are back
at home with us, bringing joy and laughter.
We love creating.
the wild and the dead
We love breathing new life into the brokendown.
We love learning new skills.
We love mending things.
We love beauty.
We love to adventure...and share it.
I am so happy my husband chose this house
for us to revive because it is beginning
to bloom with hope.
Friends, don't give up on the imperfect
or let fear keep you in your comfort zone.
The uncomfortable zone has its charms
and is where all the growth happens.
week 32 was still pretty gnarly
We may have downsized, downgraded, and
maybe downplayed the challenge,
but we have also profoundly re-learned
what living in abundance looks like
(hint: it has nothing to do with
square footage or the view
from your kitchen window).
We have been given an opportunity to let go.
Let go?
Of the illusion we are in control.
Of needing so much perfection.
Of concern about what others may think.
Of a lot of egoic ridiculousness.
oh you were ugly, mouse infested attic in my master bath week 16
4 months later it was still not usable
Letting go has freed our hands to receive...
more grace,
more mystery,
more wisdom,
and more courage.
To see more of our journey this year,
visit the adventures here and pretty please
leave comments below so I know you
are out there viewing the good,
the bad, and the ugly of this project.
I will be back with an update soon on
the remaining fix ups and with lots
of secrets and sources.
What are your thoughts on this
ongoing transformation, fixer upper brethren?
p.s. If you follow me on instagram and facebook
(and I hope you do so I can follow you back!),
you will begin to see hints of what is on the horizon
for the next fixer upper even before this one's a wrap.
