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One Of Those Days

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Have you ever had one of those days? You know, when you’re feeling really overwhelmed because you have so many things to do so you sit down to tackle your biggest project and EVERYTHING GOES WRONG!!! And I mean everything. I was trying to sew my new banquette cushions together so I could clear the horrible mess of foam, fabric, old cushions, and random sewing things out of the dining room in the hope that I could use the space {and time} to get ready for my two looming bazaars {oh, and to eat too}. I was getting ready to … Continue reading →

Finding my Feng Shui

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Lately I have been struggling with this corner: Ugly, I know.  Just a bunch of random stuff thrown into the corner because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.  That corner create anxiety in me.  The whole space does, if I’m honest. Our living room is an enigma.  Every wall in broken up by something – a window, a fireplace, an opening to the dining room, an opening to the entry and hallway.  There is precious little space for my giant couches {that I want to get rid of} and even less space for anything else. So my problem always is how … Continue reading →

The Power Of A Storm

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If you were anywhere near the Portland Metro area last night, you heard the storm.  Rain, wind, thunder and lightening.  It was awesome in a “hold-your-kids-tight” kind of a way. We were all cuddled up on our couches in our jammies reading a book out loud together when it started (we were reading “Wildwood” by Colin Meloy if you were wondering…I highly recommend it).  We gathered around our big picture window watching the trees blow and counting the seconds between the lightening and the thunder. And then it happened.  I saw it out the window and felt it deep in … Continue reading →

How To Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

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If you have a house that was built in the 80′s, like we do, you probably have that popcorn texture on your ceiling.  You know, that super bumpy cobweb filled mess with edges that are impossible to paint cleanly. Well, I have good news, my friend!  You don’t have to live with the popcorn anymore.  Hooray! We have successfully removed the texture from the ceiling in two of our rooms, with many more to come.  So I’d thought I would share what we’ve learned along the way.  And when I say “we”, I mean “my husband”.  I had the idea … Continue reading →

Turning A Little Into A Lot

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My husband and I have lived in many different houses.  Many.

The first house we owned was 1700 square feet of crap when we bought it.  We got it through a HUD program.  The carpeting had been torn out down to the subflooring.  It stunk of meat that was left in the unplugged freezer and there were Austin Powers stickers all over the beautiful woodwork.  My husband and I were expecting our first child and we were not swimming in gold coins.  Not even copper ones.  We did what we could with what we had and eventually we made it a home (and made it smell good).

Our second home was 3000 square feet of space.  We thought we’d love space.  Turns out it’s just more toilets to clean and carpets to vacuum.  We got used to it, but it clearly wasn’t us.  Sometimes I miss the space, but I never miss the cleaning.

Eventually, after quite a few moves we ended up planting our family of five in our current house.  A tiny 1980′s ranch.  And when I say tiny, I mean it.  Our ceilings are 7’9″.  That’s right, they’re not even 8 ft. ceilings.  The main bathroom is smaller than most people’s closets.  Literally.  It takes me all of three seconds to clean the floor in there.  And there are 8 windows in the whole house.

And we love it here.

We don’t have loads of rooms to fill with furniture or walls of windows letting in southern light.  We don’t have vaulted ceilings or a mud room or built in anything.  We don’t have walnut floors or a grand entryway.  We don’t have a lot to work with when it comes to space, time or budget either.  Not much expendable income for redecorating, remodeling or furniture shopping.

So we try to take the little we have – little space, little house, little budget – and do a lot with it.  As re-decorating goes, this is definitely the slowest way to approach it.  I think the glaciers moved faster.  I wish I could just go out and buy new couches, paint, lighting, antiques and be done with it.  But that’s just not possible or in keeping with our personalities.

Slowly (and I mean molasses-in-January kind of slowly) we are making over this little beauty.  When we have time, we tackle a big project like knocking out a wall to open up the kitchen.

Ta Da!!

But usually it’s just me here, doing small projects to slowly turn this house into OUR house.  We want to lovingly and thoughtfully add our personality to this tiny little builder grade dwelling.  My list of to-do’s is much, much, much longer than my list of completed projects.  I’m pretty sure I’ll never be finished.  And my personal style is evolving and forming as I go.  Most of what I do either involves stuff I already own or things I found at Goodwill.

Yes, I want this:

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And this:

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And this:

Salvage Secrets eclectic entry
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And ESPECIALLY this:

Vintage Renewal Loft eclectic kitchen
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But when it comes down to it, what I really want is what we have.  And I want to make it ours.  I want every inch of it to be dripping with love and marks of our family.  I want our history and character and passions to shine through.  I want people to walk in the door and know who we are and what we are about because our house tells our story.

It’s going to be a long story.  A good, long story.

It won’t be told quickly.  It won’t look like a catalog.  It probably won’t be anything you’d want your house to look like.  And that’s ok, because it isn’t your story.  It’s ours.

Little by little, deliberately, slowly, methodically…we will take this tiny house and tell our story with it.  Our “little into a lot” story.

Because, really, this is what I want:

The ReBuilding Center

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We have a fantastic resource for used home products here in Portland.  I’m sure other cities have places like this, but to me it is so very “Portland”.

It’s called the Rebuilding Center.  It is a place to donate usable home building items (plumbing, cabinetry, doors, lumber, etc…).  It is a place to buy used (and sometimes antique, vintage and valuable) building items.  It is a place to purchase new home furnishings made out of reused items.  It is a place that will deconstruct old home and take anything salvageable to re-sell.  It is amazing, eco-friendly, inexpensive and such a fun place to shop.  Just wear a coat, because it’s also mega cold.

The times I have been there I have seen church pews, windows from an old high school, subway tile, vinyl sliders, huge mahogany double front doors with casing, antique crystal door knobs, oil lamps, Victorian design heat register covers and powder blue claw foot bath tubs.  There really are treasures everywhere!

I’ve also seen moldy pressboard cupboard doors, brass looking plastic light fixtures, lead paint covered windows and nasty old plumbing pipes.  You have to be ready to put in the time looking, testing and assuring you are getting the quality you are hoping for.  Most things need a cleaning and some need a load of TLC.  But it’s worth it for what you get.

Take a look:

Shelves and shelves of cabinet doors, none of which are priced.  It’s like a Turkish Bazaar.  They offer a starting price and you haggle.  It’s fantastic!  This is where I spent most of my shopping time.  I have big plans for cabinet doors.

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Cabinet Court. Where you can get almost any kind of cabinetry, vanity, desk, hutch or cupboard.

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Pedestal sink, anyone?  Take your pick!

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Or you could get a basin sink in just about any color of the rainbow. True awesomeness.

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The lighting section. Fixtures and shades for EVERY possible lighting need. There are even mega huge chandeliers that would crush people if they fell.

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There is a whole warehouse for doors. Indoor, outdoor, french, sliding, antique, pocket, hollowcore, hardwood…you name it, they have it.

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Some doors even have their antique handles and hardware still attached. I love these doorknobs!

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ReFind Furniture. Built by artisans from salvaged materials. And, yes, even the floor is salvaged. I wish it was in my house.

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I shopped with some very good friends and my little guy. Those cupboard doors are for an upcoming project ($1 each) and that light fixture is for my guest/kids’ bathroom. Just needs a little TLC and some spray paint.

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The front entrance. Such a cool place! A great example of green building and inovative design.

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I look forward to the days I need to head over to their warehouses.  And with some things I have in the works, I might be heading over there more often.

I love shopping at the ReBuilding Center for so many reasons.

  1. I feel like I’m not contributing to the wastefulness of our society.
  2. I love that each piece has a history.
  3. I don’t want my house to look like a catalog or like every other house – I want it to be unique.
  4. I LOVE vintage and antique pieces and they abound here.
  5. They are a non-profit that supports sustainability in the community.
  6. They support artists.  Check out their Doors For Auction page.
  7. The street it is on (Mississippi Ave.) is full of great shops, restaurants and food carts.
  8. My favorite coffee shop is just down the street (Albina Press – Thanks Eryn for starting a new obsession).
  9. My Favorite breakfast restaurant is just across the street (Muddy’s Coffehouse).

If you live in Portland, you have to check it out.  If you don’t live in Portland, you have to come here and check it out.  It’s totally worth the trip if you can get that pedestal sink in the overhead bin on the flight home.  Either way, click on the link below and learn more about the ReBuilding Center.

Our Major Summer Project

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Each summer we seem to take on a larger than life project.  Moving, painting the house, putting in a new lawn…we’ve done it all.  This year our overwhelming-but-totally-worth-it project is opening up our kitchen/dining area.  We had a pantry dividing the two rooms and, though I loved the storage, I didn’t like the separation.

Yesterday we began our room renovation project.  Demo is so much fun and so fulfilling because you see tons of progress in a short time period.

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Project cost so far – $0

Demolition is not only quick, it’s also very inexpensive.

That is about to change.  We’re doing it all ourselves and reusing whatever we can to keep the budget down, but things like sheetrock are just necessary purchases.  We are slowly realizing, as with every project, that we are getting more work than we bargained for.  Removing a popcorn ceiling, moving lighting, adding sub-flooring, painting…one day down, a lot more to go.

I am so very excited about this project.  It will totally consume our next seven days, but the payoff will be grand.

Finding a Home We Believe In

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Over the 8 years that my husband and I have been married we have moved 8 times.  From apartment to duplex to house…  My kids (the oldest is 6) have had 5 different bedrooms.  We are becoming professionals at packing and unpacking.  And over those 8 moves, only two places have ever felt like home.  Our first house, though it had some major frustrations, holds a very dear place in my heart.  We lived there for 4 years.  My very first baby was brought home from the hospital there.  So was my second baby.  We had countless game nights.  Some dear friends came over multiple times a week and we ended up sharing a lot of life together with them there.  We had birthday parties, barbeques and family Christmases there.  I loved that place – probably more for the memories than the house.  But we had to leave.  And to be honest, it would not fit our family anymore.

The second house that seems like a home is the one we just moved into.  There are numerous boxes that still have not been opened.  The garage is littered with things that have no place or do not fit.  And we have only been here for a week.  But I hope we stay here forever.  It just FEELS like home.  Somehow, even with our downsizing (cutting down one bedroom and almost a thousand square feet), everything feels comfortable and spacious.  There are perfect places for my baby to crawl around.  My kitchen cupboards have just enough room.  I love it!

However, what I love most is how it lines up with the way we want to live our lives.  We are so blessed here in America.  And we tend to think that we deserve it, or we need it.  But to be honest, we live with so much abundance that it is ridiculous.  Over the past year we have been very convicted of our views on “stuff” and our propensity to be possession gluttons.  So we have made intentional decisions to de-stuff.  We have moved into a smaller house, where we JUST fit nicely.  We have taken 9 full mini-van trips to Goodwill and our local homeless shelter.  We have donated many of the things we were keeping in storage in our garage to local fundraising garage sales.  And still I feel like we have too much stuff.  Even as I unpack, we are filling up boxes of things we do not need, do not use, or have not worn in the last year.  It is wonderful.  It has not necessarily been easy, but it is wonderful.  It has forced us to look at wants vs. needs.  It has forced us to think about what is essential to us and what is fluff, frivolous and extra.  It has forced us to be honest about why we want what we want, and our reasons for owning so much.

As soon as I unpack completely I’ll post some pictures of our new home.  And I’m sure you’ll hear more about our journey to simplify.  But this is a huge first step for us.  And I am loving it.

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