Life is what you make it.
Use what you have, can make yourself, buy cheap, or acquire for free to turn your home into a comfortable abode!
When I was 10 years old, my mom put my 4 year-old sister and me into the car and drove us to the machine shop where my Dad worked. It was lunchtime on Christmas Eve. The employees, about a half dozen in all, had stopped work for the day and were gathered around the lunchroom… Continue reading Collecting Christmas
It started with a simple sentence. "We really need a new kitchen floor," I said to my husband. A month later, I find myself in the middle of an entire first floor home renovation. I'd been worried about the kitchen ceiling ever since the day we moved in. Made from layers of plaster that were… Continue reading In the Middle of a Spring Home Makeover
If, like me, you live in an old, historic home you have to deal with many challenges not found in modern construction. One of the most common problems is damaged walls. Often, old plaster has been badly patched or walls are layered with difficult to strip wallpaper. One solution is to knock down the old… Continue reading Patchwork Wallpaper Project
While February usually brings deep snows and frigid temperatures to Ohio, this year we have been enjoying a stretch of unusually warm weather. February and March were to be my months for organizing my dressing room and pairing down my wardrobe. But with temperatures climbing into the 50s, 60s and even reaching a 70° day,… Continue reading Organize It! The Front Porch
Formal dining rooms are probably the least used room in a house these days. In some ways they are a waste of valuable space as busy families eat their meals in super-sized kitchens or in front of the TV. I've seen stories of people who have turned their dining room space into home offices or play… Continue reading Dining Room Drama
One of the reasons I love a vacation house is because it doesn't have a lot of clutter. When I decided to create my own "staycation-vacation retreat" and remake my home into something that feels more vacation-home-like, I knew I would have one huge challenge. To live in clutter-free spaces, I must face the problem of organizing and storing all of the… Continue reading The Dressing Room: Making a Staycation-Vacation Retreat at Home
My goal of late has been to create a more relaxing atmosphere inside my home. I love laid back vacation rentals and it seems to me that I should be able to live in one year-round. I mean, why not? What is a vacation rental except a house that has been designed with comfort in mind?
Everyone loves a vacation house. Whether it’s a high end condo in a resort area or a weather-worn shack at the beach, vacation houses are an escape. They are the relaxed, comfortable, stress-free zones that we dream about the other 50 weeks a year when we’re not vacationing in them. Since leaving my job… Continue reading Coffee and Tea Please: Making a Staycation – Vacation Retreat at Home
Home at the WhackyShack 