A memorable Memorial Day

For two years now we've been hard at work on The House of Goodwill, trying to get it painted, furnished, and set up as an airbnb.  It's been such a longer project than we anticipated, and it's taken tons of work.  But we set a deadline of Memorial Day weekend to get the bulk of the work on the house completed.  And we did.

We worked until 10pm on Friday night, but we did.

And just to ensure that it was done by then, we planned a big party outside with all our neighbors, and promised house tours.  

My son and I stopped at every house on our street (and a few others) knocking on doors and inviting people to come to a catered barbeque both Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  Most of our neighbors we had never met before (and didn't know their names); it was something we really enjoyed!

Here are some photos of our weekend event:

We had twenty-two friends and neighbors show up between Saturday and Sunday.

We had perfect weather - not too hot, which is unusual for Memorial Day weekend in Tennessee.

We had rain all week, so I was SO happy the sky was clear!

So it turns out, we have some really amazing neighbors here!

We found out lots of them like to play games...so we've got some more future parties in the pipeline.

We had a beanbag tournament on Saturday...

...and here are the winners!  Gift cards and this t-shirt were the prizes.

Here we our in our official t-shirts of the weekend.

My son and I are on the left, my sister-in-law Linda (who came to help host) is on the right.

My new friend Angela (who I met the day before - she lives two houses away) is standing next to me.

She and her husband joined us on their first wedding anniversary, so she was the automatic prize winner of the excellent WalMart Patriotic cat shirt on Sunday.

(She brought champagne, too!)

All the neighbors on both days wanted to see our work on the house.

I've never had this many people in my bedroom before.

It was an interesting moment.

We got to try out our game table in the basement for the first time!

(It's an awesome table - I found it and all four chairs on craigslist for $100.)

We also used our firepit for the first time!

(We got it free from a neighbor who was upgrading, and my son gave it a fresh coat of high heat paint.)

Our friends let us use their pontoon boat on Monday; it was the first time we spent a whole day on the lake in a boat.  Fun!

So what's left before our first guests show up to rent the house in a little less than a month?

Well, first a day off.  (Today.)  Today's the first day in a long time that I didn't have to get up early and clean or paint something.

Our shoreline project is not finished.  Our contractor ran into problems when rain pushed the land toward the wall he was building and breached it.  So there was no sand beach by Memorial Day weekend, though there are huge sand piles in corners of our yard.

Right now we're waiting to hear back from our contractor regarding Plan B and the cost.

We also need to set the house up online as an airbnb, hang a few more things on the walls, change out some door locks and add some security cameras.  I'll get started on that tomorrow.

But today we're just feeling grateful for all we've been blessed with; we're enjoying the (mostly) finished house (that's also as clean as it's ever going to be) and enjoying the refrigerators overflowing with leftover food,

It was a hard-earned celebration and we enjoyed every minute of it!

And THIS is what he notices...!

Remember when I posted about finishing the first bedroom the other day?  I had posted photos of a built-in bookshelf, and mentioned that I'd post more about it later...well, there's a little story about that project that I thought was worth sharing. 

Ok, so rewind about a week.  My husband was out of town for a few days, and my son and I decided to work really diligently so we could surprise him with our accomplishments in the house when he returned.

So we decided to finish this bedroom, and we made all the changes you could see in the previous post.  It took some doing!

Well, one of the things my son and I did together in that room was wallpaper the back of a bookcase, something neither one of us had done before.  Here is what the bookcase looked like before we started:

See the dark oak wood in the bookcase?

The bookcase was dark wood (like everything when we bought this house), and like everything here, I just wanted to lighten it up a little.

I didn't want to paint it, because it would be hard to undo if I wanted to change it in the future.  So easily-removable adhesive wallpaper seemed like a good idea.

Here is the wallpaper we used, that I found at WalMart:

It was simple, bright, and seemed to go with the floral theme of the house.

Like I said, my son and I had never done this before, and it was a little tricky.  Lining the paper up correctly, getting the air bubbles out, lining up seams, etc...we had to redo our work quite a bit as we went, but to our relief, it came out really well.  It took a couple of hours, and it was definitely a two-person job!

But I loved the final result!

The nice oak wood is still visible, but yes, it's brighter!

I had worried it might not turn out, but it did, and I was really pleased.  Of all the changes in this room, I could not wait for my husband to see this one.  I knew he'd be impressed!

So, fast forward to the return of the husband on Friday night.  When he arrived, my son and I couldn't wait to show him the finished room - "the big reveal" if you will.  (Whenever you spend hours and days on a project, the appreciation is the payoff, right?)

So my husband opened the door, and gave great reaction.  "Wow!" he said, gazing around the room.  He oohed and ah-ed at all the little detailed changes that he noticed, and that we pointed out.  But I kept waiting for him to notice one thing.  The wallpaper.

"I love the nightstands!" he exclaimed.  "They're perfect!"

I showed him the bed skirt, that we had just bought, that really polished up the bed.  "Looks great!" he responded.

But I kept waiting for him to notice the wallpaper.  I mean, it was a HUGE change, right?  (Not to mention a ton of effort!)

"That's a perfect desk chair," he commented.  "And the drawing over the bed is amazing."

Yes.  But the wallpaper?

"Did you notice anything else?"  I finally asked.

He looked around the room.  "Yes," he said.  "The chair.  The lamps.  The art on the walls."

"Anything else?"  I asked again.

Look of confusion.  His tone had an edge of sharpness.  "Yes!  I see all the changes!  Is there something I'm supposed to be seeing that I'm not?" he questioned, wildly glancing all over the room.

Long pause.  Silence.  My son looked at me with a knowing half smile.  Having made all the effort as well, he knew why I was riled up.

"The wallpaper!!"  I practically yelled.  "The wallpaper that wasn't there before!"

My husband kept turning his head, till he FINALLY set eyes on the bookcase.

"That wallpaper wasn't there before?"  he tentatively ventured.

Silence again.  "No," I sighed, with exasperation.  "It was just wood.  Like everything else.  Do you not notice that it DOESN'T look forty years old?  That it's new, unlike the wallpaper that was hanging in the entry?  Does it not look fresh, and great, and beautiful?"

"Oh, yes, of course," he scrambled to recover, "Well, you know when something is different, but you don't remember how it was before, so you're not sure if it's different, but you think it might be..."

Ok, so not exactly the reaction I'd been going for.

*Sigh.*

Ok, so fast forward twenty minutes.

I had found something at Goodwill, something small, but something great.  Something I thought would make a perfect decoration for the bathroom.  So while the husband was out of town, I added that too.

I was sitting in a chair when my husband came charging out of the bathroom.  I could hear him laughing in the hall.  "Oh my gosh!" he yelled.  "I love it!  It's perfect!  What is this?  Where did you find this??"

And there it was, the accolades and over-the-top reaction I'd been waiting for, that I thought my classy, hard-earned wallpaper would get me.

And what was he so charged up about?

Here was my find (from Goodwill, of course, I'm surprised he even asked...):

Yes, it's a poop emoji. 💩

In case you're wondering, he's really a bank:

So when I saw him at Goodwill, I just started laughing.  I mean, come on, he's cute!  "What are you going to do with that?" my son asked, confused, as I threw the emoji in the shopping cart.

What am I not going to do with that?  Aside from a thousand pranks I can imagine (or maybe leaving him under my husband's pillow when I'm mad at him), I thought he'd make a perfect bathroom decoration.  I mean, if he made me laugh, someone else probably will too.

And he did.  The husband did.

Not only did he notice, but he laughed, and at least I got a big reaction for SOMETHING.

If there's a moral to this story, I'm pretty sure it points to the reinforcement of the notion that yes, there still are major differences between men and women.

So, perhaps the flower arrangement I slaved over, or the curtains I agonized over choosing, or the wallpaper I went to great lengths to install were more important to me.  Perhaps they are just pleasant background to men.  It's ok.

Apparently, we meet in the middle with a poop emoji, our common denominator.

While I'm not exactly sure what that says about our relationship, it has united us in agreement on something: neither one of us wants to leave it in the house for the renters.  We both already cherish our little emoji, and just know someone else will probably want him.  "That's going to disappear with somebody," my husband said.

With all the other things I second-guessed leaving in this house because they might be "too nice for a rental," my little $2 Goodwill emoji has now been (weirdly) added to the list.

He IS special.

I mean, a house has to have a sense of humor, right?

"Room" 2, done! Well, sort of...

Well, I finally finished what might be my favorite "room" at The House of Goodwill.  Sort of.  

It took me all of two years, but I was finally able to thrift (mostly) all the furniture I needed to get this "room" done.  Why do I keep putting "room" in quotation marks?  Because the room I'm referring to is the outside upper porch; not a room exactly, but since it may be my favorite space to pass time in - it's a room to me!

It's not a huge area, but I love that it's up high, with great views of the lake and the birds in the trees all around.

Here is the finished space:

The house came with the porch swing.  Why it wasn't installed facing the lake, is one of Pine Lake's many mysteries...

The two chairs I found on craigslist for $100 each, the side table was $10 at a thrift store.

After a long search and not being able to locate any ottomans for the chairs, I finally ordered two from Amazon last week.  It was $100 for both.

I realized I needed a central place to contain my plants; I have a tendency to collect them wherever I am, and they were scattered all over the porch.

By the time I realized I needed a plant rack, I didn't have time to seek one out secondhand.

(I bet I've passed by 100 in the last two years of thrifting.)

Oh well, I felt like I overpaid ($68) for this one at an antique store, but it was one of my few last minute purchases.  (And technically, I did buy it secondhand, it just bothered me that I knew I could find one much cheaper, I just didn't have the time to wait for it now.)

My plants look a lot more organized now.

(All the plant pots were a few dollars or free.)

The table and chairs were $250 from a guy on craigslist.

Of everything I had to search for secondhand for this house, patio furniture (in decent condition) is usually the hardest thing to find.

People have a tendency to not get rid of it until it's wearing out, unless it's an estate sale or a moving sale, etc.

I've actually had great success finding outdoor cushions and pillows at Goodwill (in great condition).

Two weeks ago, my son and I found a wicker loveseat out on the curb for the trash, next to a house having an estate sale.

We didn't take the loveseat (the wicker was unraveling), but the cushion and pillow looked brand new, so they went home with us for free.

I saw the same cushion at a home store later that week for $40.

Outdoor cushions are WAY expensive!

So why do I say that this "room" is "sort of" done?  Well, because the staircase leading up to this porch is in need of some new wooden stairs; some of the current ones are rotting.  They need to be replaced ASAP, but that is not in the league of things I can do, so, my part, at least, is done.

There's always something that needs to be done...speaking of which, I better go get another room done.  Memorial Day will be here soon!

The best place to stock up on candles? Goodwill!

So, now that I've got the coolest fireplace mantle in the world, I've been having tons of fun covering it with candles and flowers.  I've finally got somewhere to put them!

Whenever I see a great little vase or candleholder at Goodwill for a few dollars, I pick it up; I can't help myself.  I keep a space in the closet to store these, that way I can change up my house often and use whatever flowers happen to be in bloom as well.

I may have a lot of accessories for my house, but none of them cost much.  (That's how I justify my thrift store trips anyway.)

Lately I've found some great candleholders while at the thrift stores.  Just look at these!

This little Partylite cabin (in perfect condition) was just $6 at Goodwill!

There's room for a candle inside, as well as in the firepit.

Love the details on this!!

Here it is lit up on the mantle.

I love the raccoons in the trashcan and on the outhouse.

Just perfect for this house!

And I did it again!

I found this beautiful hand painted Fenton fairy lamp at a thrift store for $7.

It has the prettiest, softest glow.

Here it is online:

While I paid a little more, and it is worth a little less than my last Fenton find, I'm still happy about it!

Lately I've been finding tons of great smelling, never used candles at thrift stores.

This large, unused Yankee candle on the left was just $3!  (And came with the topper.)

And the amazing unused candles come in some great containers, too!

I'll use these in the fall.  I thought the wooden, carved votive holders were so pretty.

And finally, I love this little stained glass hummingbird holder for $5!

The vase (with two peonies from the yard), was $2 at an estate sale.

Changing the details in the house, and finding new arrangements for candles and flowers - this just makes me so happy.  

Who gives away brand new, unburned candles, anyway?

I doubt I'll ever solve that mystery.  But I'm just glad some people do! 😄

Bedroom #1? Done!

The countdown is on, we've got two weeks to go till our Memorial Day weekend celebration of the-house-is-complete party.  That is, assuming we actually get the house complete by then.  I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed!

My husband and son just left for New York for a week, so I've got a week to get this house finished by myself.  And wow, there is still so much to be done.

At this point, I'm splitting up the remaining work into two categories: what has to get done by Memorial Day and what can be done in the several weeks after.  By Memorial Day, the house has to be ready for overnight guests.  But by three weeks after that, the house has to be ready for it's first renters.  

So what can wait till after Memorial Day?  Setting up the airbnb site, installing security cameras, installing locks on some internal doors, etc.  All the final preparations for us to turn the keys over to guests.  We've been working non-stop, and I know the house will keep us busy till the last minute.

So I definitely want to take a minute to celebrate getting the first room officially complete.  It is done!  Done, done, done!

We fondly refer to this bedroom (which is my son's, when we're here) as "Stephanie's Room" because of this little sign on the door.

I don't know if the former owners forgot to take it off, or if they left it on the door for sentimental reasons (I totally get that), but we love that it's still there.

I have always loved old houses, (and vintage houses, like this one) in part because of the feeling of history that comes with the house.

I love that this is Stephanie's room!

Anyway, enjoy the before and after pics:

Here is what the bedroom looked like when we bought the house; dark molding and a dark, brownish-gray paint on the walls.

Here's the one window with the curtains it came with.

And here is the after!

Funny, it's hard to tell that the wall color is different in these pics, but it really is!

It's now a light peachy-orange.

It definitely feels lighter and brighter.

All the molding I painted white took over a week to do.

Like the whole house, almost everything is secondhand or vintage.

The exceptions here: the blackout curtains I ordered online (inexpensive), the sheets, blanket and bedspread (from Ollie's Bargain outlet) and the two matching nightstands I ordered from Amazon for $50 each.

(I wanted to thrift some, but after two years of looking without finding the right thing, I ended up ordering them.)

I LOVE this painting of a woman I found at Goodwill.

I bought this iron queen bed for $200 on craigslist.  (And the sellers gave us tons of free stuff with it.)

I think the mattress and box spring came free with the bed.

(I have it written down; all the mattresses in this house we either scored for free or paid $100 or less.)

It's all in the details, right?

The catchall bowl is from Goodwill and the duck coaster's from a thrift store.

My son and I put removable wallpaper on the back of this bookcase to lighten it up.

It helped a lot!  (More to come on this later.)

I found the desk chair for $7 at Goodwill, we cleaned it with our carpet cleaner attachment.

It's so comfortable!

Yes, there IS an owl in this house!

I love vintage resin decorations like this.  The owl and the bird print came from an antique store.

I found this lake photo at Goodwill; I even love the frame color.

I honestly can't remember where I got the rug; I think it was free when we bought something else.

I just found the bed skirt a few weeks ago at an estate sale for $15.

Here is the bathroom before, with the same dark brownish-gray paint. 

Here's the bathroom now, with light green paint.

We're leaving the vanity and the (very short!) toilet for now; it isn't urgent to replace them, and the outdoor projects (shoreline excavation and boat dock) are expensive, so these can wait for now.

This little deer plaque (from Goodwill) reminds me of something on my wall in my childhood. 💗

I love the sentiment of this "friendship prayer" (from Goodwill).

I have a list of everything I bought for the house and what I paid for it, but I haven't done a final tally.  I don't think I spent more than $7000 for everything in the house, furniture, linens, appliances, kitchen stuff, etc.  My goal was $5000; I'm sure I went just a little over.

It probably cost about $500 total to furnish this room; but for a queen bed (with mattress and linens, etc.) rug, tables and lamps, etc. I think I did all right!

Stephanie's Room is done! ✔

Just 14 more to go...

My favorite season?

I've never been able to figure out if my favorite season is fall or spring.  I love them both, for the mild temperatures that make being outside so pleasurable.  Fall has the beautiful changing leaves and promise of the holidays, but then, spring's got the flowers and the hope of nice weather to come. 

Since I've got a few projects not quite ready to share in pics, I'll share some pics of my first or second favorite season instead!  Here, the argument for why I love spring.  First, a few pics from my yard at the home/house:

My spirea shrub has gotten so big and beautiful!

I learned this year that the small branches, when clipped, are beautiful additions to flower arrangements and last a long time in a vase.

My tree peony, that I bought in New York and brought to Tennessee, is bigger and has more blooms than ever before!  This shrub always flowers early (after the daffodils and forsythia).

The flowers are enormous and smell amazing.

I was returning to The House of Goodwill just as the tree peony started blooming, so I cut a bouquet to bring with me.  Doesn't it look great on the new mantle?

Yesterday the weather was 73 degrees and overcast, perfect for working outside.  So I took the day off projects in the house to do some shrub maintenance and other outside clean up.

It's supposed to be 90 degrees and sunny ALL next week....I am not ready for that!

I'm glad I got the yard work done when I did...and the house looks so pretty right now with so many things in bloom.

As I've mentioned before, one of my favorite things about this property is the landscaping of the house.

It definitely takes some work, but it makes this place so beautiful it's worth the work to me.

Obviously the former owners enjoyed gardening.

There are 22 azaleas around the house, 3 forsythias, 7 peonies, and tons of daffodils and irises (in addition to other shrubs and flowers).

Spring in the back yard is breathtaking!

Another view of the azalea row in the back yard.

So pretty!

And the concrete alligators are pretty amazing, too.

This pretty columbine is all over the front of the house.

Once it's done blooming, the foliage dies down and you'd never know it was ever there.

Irises, peonies, azaleas...everywhere you look something is blooming.

I think I've counted 7 different irises in the yard so far.

Our cat loves to sit on this stump amidst the irises.

You can see the lakefront work going on in the background.

I have a gorgeous clematis vine at home that's grown very lush and profuse.

I discovered that cut clematis flowers also make long-lasting and pretty little bouquets.

The colors of irises viewed up close are so delicate and varied.

Some irises and azaleas from the yard.

My only complaint about irises?  Each flower only lasts a few days.

(Fortunately each stem holds several buds.)

But when they're here, wow!

That was a lot of pics.  And they definitely don't do justice to how beautiful things really look outside.

I just love this house in the spring, and I hope no one ever rents it in April or May so I can just stay here and enjoy it...wait, why are we going to rent this place again?

Ah yes - the $54,000 excavation bill.  (Not to mention the dock that hasn't been built yet.)  I just have to keep reminding myself of that...