Blessings and Raindrops

seeking joy in the midst of the ordinary

Archives for May 2019

Farmhouse Remodel (Guest Bath)

I’m trying to get caught up on ALL.THE.THINGS before baby Luke arrives in t-minus 18 days!! One of the things I’d like to do is share a few of the completed spaces at the farmhouse with y’all! This remodel was fast and furious and we worked around the clock to get it finished up in three months so we could move back in and get settled before the summer. I’m so excited with how everything turned out. Mostly because every space is just so much more functional for our family and really feels like “us.” There’s still a lot to be done but we are getting there and it just feels good to be home again at the farm.

The first room I thought I’d share is the guest bathroom. We had to close in the window in order to add on the new laundry room and I was pretty nervous about losing that natural light BUT it was well worth it to gain the laundry space!! We kept the layout the same, just expanded the vanity (more storage is ALWAYS a good thing) and changed out the tile and fixtures. We did keep the original tub to the house (it’s over 100 years old!) and I still love it and am so happy we have it in here.

For the full dramatic before and after effect, let me share the original state of the bathroom when we moved the house five years ago…

The tub is awesome. Everything else? Not so much.

And, because I never remember to take “before” photos, this is the only one I can find of the bathroom after our original renovation. Be still my heart — that cutie pie one year old Charlotte! {You can’t see the whole room but trust me, the small vanity wasn’t working}.

And, now… after our latest remodel, here is the after:

Let me start by saying that this bathroom remodel wasn’t in our original plan (we had planned to only focus on additional bedrooms for our ever growing gaggle of little people). Because of the limited storage in the space, and the fact that we added the laundry room on the other side of the far wall of this bath, causing us to have to close in the window, we decided to add this room to the remodel plan. This late add meant we had to be SUPER budget conscious with every decision in here. I used a lot of Amazon gift cards ordered from miles and did tons of research for the best deals to maximize every dollar. (I’ll share all of the sources at the bottom of this post)!

My goal for this bathroom was for the finished space to be clean, modern and minimal. We had Rob at Morgan Millworks build a new vanity cabinet with more storage (we really needed it in here) and I wanted a natural wood tone for warmth. We used the same gorgeous quartzite from the kitchen for the countertop (it is a natural stone that looks like marble but is significantly more durable and less expensive) and, although my original plans for tile were much different than what I ended up with, I do love the visual interest of this patterned tile. I had originally wanted a non-patterned look but I couldn’t find what I had in mind in our price range – these tiles were on sale on Wayfair and were a steal. We also saved money by keeping the white subway tile on the walls that was already here from the original remodel.

I decided to keep the walls white and neutral because I really didn’t want to compete with the pattern on the tile. However, the room was left feeling pretty stark without the natural light from the window and I needed some bright color on the wall to break things up. This art print from the super talented Kelly Ventura was exactly what I needed! Isn’t it gorgeous?!?! Dave built a frame and I had a custom piece of glass cut from a local glass installer to keep custom framing costs to a minimum.

Dave also built this wooden tub caddy for me – I love it! Again, budget friendly. I just make Dave build me all the things instead of shopping for new stuff. I know, I’m spoiled! 🙂

Excuse the whacky lighting and colors on my photos… I didn’t have any fancy photography lighting so I just had to make do. I hope you enjoyed the little tour! More to come soon!

Sources:

Sconces: Jensine Sconce, LuLu & Georgia

Sink Faucet: Kingston Brass Heritage Series

Cabinet Hardware (Pull): Top Knobs

Cabinet Hardware (Knobs): Top Knobs

Mirror: Yedinak Accent Mirror, Wayfair.com

Floor Tile: Kenzzi Paloma 8×8, Wayfair.com

Artwork: Kelly Ventura

the lake cottage

Several years ago, Dave bought a little slice of land on the shore of a nearby lake. He bought the land sight unseen at a tax auction and, because the price was extremely low, we assumed it was unbuildable, most likely on the edge of a cliff (lots in that particular area tend to be on cliffs without access to the water).

He attends these auctions regularly (the farmhouse was moved to land he purchased at an auction, as well) and typically uses the land purchased for business purposes. This time, however, we held onto the lakefront slice of land for several years before we went out to look at it. We truly assumed it was rather invaluable property that he and the boys would use for fishing and nothing more.

One fall afternoon, we decided to drive out to check on the long-shot possibility that the land could be built on and was at least in proximity to the water. What we found took us by complete surprise. An overgrown patch of land, covered in thistles and vines and trees, beside a small cove with a gentle slope right down to the water.

We decided then and there that this land would be the place where family memories would be made for years to come. For a couple of years, we simply spent long days on the shore, swimming and picnicking at the water’s edge. We spent nights grilling hamburgers, making smores’ and camping under the stars (well, the boys camped…the girls and I joined in an RV;)), and we started dreaming about a cottage where we could escape on weekends and during breaks from school.

We spent almost two years designing and building the cottage, bringing it to life in the limited white space on our calendars. Many late nights were spent dreaming together and drawing out the perfect floor plan to maximize every inch of space. I spent days and days and days searching for the perfect fixtures and hardware while Dave would sneak in hours of work here and there building and framing and tiling. The floors and walls are covered in wood Dave milled and planed from trees a tornado destroyed on our farm. Every inch of the cottage is a labor of love for our family.

Nestled in the woods, with the lapping of the waves creating a gentle background melody, this little space has been such a sweet blessing for our crew. One we never even dreamt of or imagined on our own. One we didn’t seek out or try to create. It just took shape, in the way that God seems to work most often, slowly… one small step at a time.

I haven’t really done a “house tour” of this space for many reasons. I think the main reason being that it feels too sacred to share. I fully realize even as I type that sentence how it sounds melodramatic. But, I’m telling you, there is a feeling when you walk through the door…an exhale…that can’t be conveyed through photos or words.

Even still, this online journal has documented so much for our family over the years and I thought it would be fun to share a few shots of the process of building and some glimpses into the final spaces. It’s not a complete tour, just a a few photo snippets I’ve accumulated over the past few months.

The latest project at the lake is the build of an “epic tree house.” Dave and the boys are in process of finishing it up and I imagine many, many adventures taking place in the years to come up there.
The bedrooms are designed to hold as many kiddos and friends as possible. The boys have a bunk room that I have yet to photograph… I’ll have to share and update soon.
  • Board games are a consistent presence at the lake.
  • Dave built almost all of the furniture…with the exception of the sofa and beds. 🙂
  • The dining table and bourbon cabinet were built by Dave.
  • The entry console…again, built by Dave. The painting is an original by Melissa Griffith.
  • This sofa is my very favorite…it’s the Sven by Article.
  • I found this sink in a pile of junk at antique shop and had it refurbished and painted.
  • Dave’s uncle built this canoe when he was a kid and his parents surprised him with it as a birthday gift last year.

This place is sacred for our family and has been such a sweet gift. I love thinking of our kiddos creating childhood memories here, and, eventually, bringing their own babies out to this little cottage on the shore. While traveling to new spots is always an adventure and a thrill, there is just something extra special about a cozy, comfortable place that feels like home. Like a soft landing from the outside world, I pray that this cottage continues to beckon us back together with the allure of rest and laughter for many, many years to come.

The sweetest duo.

I am working to get caught up on personal posts (because I’m several years behind on photo albums and my nostalgia-memory-recording self has kicked into overdrive with a baby on the way and Charlotte finishing up PreK so I need to record these memories somewhere!) and I realized I never shared these SWEET pictures!!

Charlotte and Daddy went on a date a couple weeks ago during one of her off days from school (while “the kids” – as she refers to them – were at school). She was SO excited and told me all about her plans for the perfect outfit as I lay beside her in bed the night before. She had her hairstyle planned, along with exactly which bows and headband would complete the look.

That morning, she woke up with such joy and excitement and starting quickly assembling her outfit. It required a very specific “twirly” dress as layer one and then her rainbow dress as the outer layer. The “piggy braids” had to have poof balls on the ends along with a hair bow and her sparkly gold headband.

She made Dave stay in the kitchen with his eyes closed as she ran out and straight into his arms to surprise him for their day together…

He said she looked like a magical princess and she BEAMED with bride.

As they went off on their way, I stopped to pray for her future spouse. May he be as loving and kind and strong and humble and generous as her daddy. May he always treasure her like the beautiful, precious gift, big-hearted gift she is.

And, may her identity be solid and firm because of the great big love of her earthly daddy and her Heavenly Father as she grows up in this unstable world.

They had a super fun day complete with surprising ME by going to get me a new car (to fit all 5 kiddos!!) and Chuck E Cheese together. She was on cloud 9 for days afterward. And, I was super surprised and grateful for my big SUV!!

I don’t ever want to forget these sweet moments… I know she will be off on dates with boys in the blink of an eye and I really can’t even deal with that thought! ha! I love these two so much!!

this unexpected life.

Two years ago, we took in a baby lamb in need of bottle feeding around the clock. I thought it would be fun and the lamb was pretty adorable so there was a zero percent chance of me turning her away. Trixie-the-lamb thought she was a dog and went on walks with us and slept cuddled alongside our lab on the porch. She grew up, we added a couple of friends and she had a baby.

These days, we have twelve sheep (Trixie is the matriarch), a llama, half a dozen cows (with babies due soon!), a dozen chickens, three dogs and two kittens.

Never, ever, ever did I expect to live on a farm with actual food that we produce and eat and animals that we care for each day (Did I mention the word NEVER??). Yet, here we are. Making it up and learning as we go (see photo example here of Dave’s first sheep shearing experience – bless it).

Here’s the thing, life will undoubtably throw you all sorts of curve balls (God’s not surprised by any of them but we certainly can be) and you have a choice:

Run and hide because you feel ill-equipped;

OR

step into the crazy and laugh and learn and make a lot of mistakes and ask a ton of questions and risk looking foolish along the way.

I promise you, looking foolish is actually fun if you’re willing to not take yourself too seriously.

I couldn’t be more grateful for the fact that we kept saying yes to the crazy and now have a pasture full of animals and we get the privilege of marveling as we watch brand-new mommas coax along their shaky-legged newborns to their feet. Or, for the sweet simplicity of lingering on the front porch with my love and a steaming mug of coffee, before the day begins, laughing together as we watch the kittens hide behind a tree to scare the llama.

This is the (completely, unexpected and absolutely unplanned for) good stuff.