day 26: the time I lost 2 days & couldn’t upload pictures
Well, the title says it all, really. I literally thought it was the 26th this morning. How did I lose 2 days, you might ask? Hmm, I'm not sure. Just a little lack of rest, crazy work hours, and not enough vegetables. That's okay, though. I have lots to blog about....
day 25: the pinecones
Once upon a time, a young maiden went to market. She fell deeply in love with some enchanting mercury glass pinecones. So she ordered some. We're not sure how our story ends, but our heroine may or may not have gotten carried away with the pinecones. **P.S. some of...
day 24: the pillows
I know, I'm still sort of a day behind. But, to be fair, yesterday was day 24, and I'm writing about what we did on day 24, so it's all a wash, right? Well, despite the fact that we still have 40 feet of baseboards to touch up and bookcases to wallpaper and touch...
pottery barn kids giveaway!!!
Remember the Pottery Barn Kids Study Space Challenge?? Well, as you know, you guys are AWESOME & we won!!! I can't thank you enough for your support--and most of all, I'm thrilled to give one of you lucky folks a set of similar products. Get this...here's what...
day 23: the new schedule
Well, today, I was just getting started at the shop when I got a call from little one's school. She kind of threw up all over herself and her desk. Of course, work halted and mama came running to the rescue. As I should. Speaking of roles and responsibilities, I've...
day 22: the shop counter
Matt finished the shop counter! It only took him a couple of nights, and I am so proud of it and him! We were really going for an antique vibe--clean lines and lots of planks. But we also wanted bar height for the ease of our customers, so we built the outside to look...
day 21: the day I recharged & dreamed big
I've been avoiding the topic. We've all been sick since we came back from Disney World. Yep. Bronchitis. Only we haven't slowed down, other than to take the kids to the doctor. On Friday, after working a 12 hour day, I decided I just might not make it to the shop on...
day 20: the brick wall trim, the pitch fork, & the body parts
This week we've also been working on the brick wall trim (to meet the sheet rock & brick) & the baseboards. We just used 1 x 4's for the wall trim (painted in French Linen) & tacked them up the old-fashioned way with masonry nails. The baseboards are 1 x...
days 18 & 19: the paint colors
I hope you won't consider it cheating that I lump days 18 & 19 together. Progress at the shop is a little slow-going this week, and it seems the walls/built-ins/trim are multiplying as we go. Natalie and I started painting cabinets a while back, but we began the...
day 17: the inside scoop on Market
It's day 17 in this little adventure (well, technically it's day 18, but as long as we get 2 posts in today, you won't hold it against me, right?)! It's hard to believe that much time has passed, and our countdown to opening is waning quite quickly. We are still...
day 16: the confessions of old shop renovator
Let me just confess something. I've run out of adrenaline. I looked around the shop today, after a week away, and I had the thought. The thought that most people renovating an old shop or home probably all have. Granted, they might not have it after 3 weeks of...
day 15: the boxes
Are you guys getting used to the iPhone pics snapped late at night? That seems to be all I'm able to manage these days. So the boxes seem to multiplying around here. It was really okay with me. But then they started multiplying inside the house.
day 14: the flooring is done!
Remember that beautiful flooring?? Well, once we got all of this swept up... We moved on to the floor. Here's where I MUST fall on my knees to thank Natalie and Eddie Ray. While we resumed life for a week, they've kept the ball rolling at the shop & we couldn't...
day 13: the ceiling progress
Well, the ceiling is a gem. Once we removed the drop-down tiles, then the first layer of linoleum tiles, you may remember we uncovered an original tin ceiling. But we also uncovered boards that were nailed ALL over the tin. Meaning when the boards came down, the old...
day 12: life, resumed
In the midst of opening the shop in 3-5 weeks, we are traveling. When Matt and my brother decided to come to Ocala, Florida, for work, our whole family packed up and tagged along for a little vacation to Disney. While they worked, we started playing and they've been...
day 11: the profit
I grew up surrounded by what I consider a savvy businessman. My father is one of the greats, a man who showed us how to love people, how to serve them...how to give of himself. Too, I believe watching him in business was my greatest teacher in preparation for running...
day 10: the ceiling issue
The ceiling. It's tricky business. I, of course, wanted to rip that commercial tile sucker down. Underneath, there were nasty linoleum tiles, and underneath that, beautiful tin tiles. And we needed to leave the grid up so we could add the tiles back if the heating...
day 9: the flooring arrived!
So the floor came in... And yes, the cart is staying. We originally thought we'd be pulling up the linoleum to expose the hardwood floors, but turns out, there were 3 types of floors under there. Yikes. Plan B, install durable laminate. We're going with Lumber...
day 8: the thorns in my side
Natalie came up with the title. After we painted the built ins 6 times. Literally. So originally, I thought I'd paint a base coat in Pure White, then wash in French Linen. Okay, here's where I digress. You can wash in several ways with Chalk Paint, but my favorite...
day 7: the crazies
We've crossed over into what I like to call the crazies... Natalie has inhaled quite a bit of insulation. And I've started to roll around on a dolly instead of actually walking around.
