my house mondays

 

Ok I know it isn't Monday but I wanted to share something with you I am going to attempt to do in 2015. I want to do Monday blog posts on what I am doing in my own house. It will not only give me content to share with you but keep me motivated to keep up with house projects. I have been so focused on the store that I have let a ton of projects go around my own house and I need a shove to get them done.

 

We just closed on a home refinance this morning and I am SO excited to get some much needed work done on my 1910 Victorian Farmhouse.

{my house}

 

 

We have lived there for 7 years. We rented the first two, then purchased it 5 years ago. We initially only had enough money to redo the kitchen. We also purchased all new appliances for the house and carpeted the upstairs. The carpet was a big mistake. For the amount of money we spent on carpet, we could have done hardwoods. The carpet is now stained, torn up by my cat, and doing that ripple thing that is horrible. We are going to get hardwoods upstairs that match what was originally there and get area rugs to muffle the sound and soften the spaces. I can always replace the rugs if they start looking bad.

 

 

We are also going to paint the exterior. My two choices were all white or a deep charcoal with white trim. Saint vetoed the white so charcoal it will be.

{all pictures taken from my Pinterest page}

 

We also really need a new fence. It is going to fall down any day and we had it painted white but the guy walked off the job day three so it has been halfway done for what seems like forever. It drives me crazy! I paint furniture for a living but painting a fence does not sound like fun to me plus I do not have the time.

 

{photo taken from my Pinterest page}

 

 

The bathroom will also get some new paint and tile. I want to go back to what would have originally been there.

 

{Photos taken from my Pinterest page}

 

I also want to go room by room and swap out furniture. Sometimes my house gets the store rejects and sometimes it gets the really amazing pieces that I find and never bring to the store. I would love to only have amazing pieces.

 

 

My house needs a lot of work and I am SO excited to really bring it back to what it should be.

And I think I will share with you each project. Yay!

fuse blown

 

Today we have very romantic lighting in the store because of a blown fuse that sparked and it scared the dickens out of me {yes I said dickens, my grandma Shaffer would be proud}.  What a weird morning! I got the kids off to school, loaded up the car with a dresser that I was bringing in. I got it here, my husband was here to watch the store for me so I could go pick up some furniture pieces I bought. As I turned on the lights, sparks flew! Thank goodness we were both standing right under it so I could run in back and switch it off, very scary. There are many times that I come in early, turn on lights then run out for coffee. I am so glad someone was looking out for this shop today and nothing bad happened. Anyway, the lamp light goes well with the holiday music and the rain outside my window.

 

It is kind of how my whole week has been going. I kind of blew a fuse of my own. I think the holidays might do that too. Everyone is so busy and we all get a bit frazzled now and then this time of year. I encountered some unkindness towards me this week and it really got me down. Does that happen to you? It kept sticking in my head and put a sadness in my heart. As I was laying next to my son one night trying to get him to fall asleep, I was playing on my phone to keep me from falling asleep and this popped up.

 

It is a quote I shared on my MCC Facebook in July and someone had just shared it, so it notified me.

 

 

It was the perfect timing for me to see it. Isn't that weird when that happens?

 

 

Anyway, I am hoping I have no more blown fuses this week! Especially tomorrow. All the shop painters will be here for a gift exchange and I miss them. It isn't often that we are all together and there is a sort of magic when we are all here together. Lots of laughter and lots of good energy. And you can't blow a fuse with laughter.

 

 

XOXO -Alison 

year 4

 

 

Ok my friends, I am going to sort of wing this post. I don't really have an outline of what I want to talk about but I can share with you how much my year changed me and what I look forward to next year.

 

I am going into year 4 retail. Let me tell you that I think I know everything and nothing about retail by now.

 

If you would have told me last year at this time I would own my own store again, I would have thought you were crazy.

 

I started off on my own three years ago, then shared a store as a co-op space with other businesses and now back to my own store. While sharing a space I learned how to manage time, basic business day to day stuff, and handling customers. In retail you get all sorts. I have learned to have a thick skin and that it is ok to stand up for myself, how I run the store and not feel bad about it.

 

 I would say that having my own store is way-way different than sharing a space.

 

And different it a good way. I now able to bring in a ton of product lines. This store has 1000 times {well that might be an exaggeration} more home décor items than the old space. I have the freedom to merchandise the whole store, which I love even more than painting.

 

I think I learned to relax and go with the flow a bit. Things will always get done because I am a doer.

 But I don't have to get things done right this second.

 

I love surrounding myself with really successful and talented people. I think by doing so I only make myself a better painter. We can stretch and grow together. I love that.

 

Someone asked me yesterday how I got here and I told her. I paint almost everyday, buy almost everyday, say no almost everyday, say yes almost everyday,  plan almost every day, pray almost everyday, and dream almost everyday. I work really hard at it and I know my limitations.

 

I have a five year plan to own a second store called Modern Cottage Kids. I think I can do it.

 

I can't wait to write next years YEAR 5!