The main attraction of my weird quirky abode is the extensive grounds. We have three lakefront lots, two of which are heavily treed and used for camping or "chilling" in the woods and of course the remaining lot has the cabin. I use the word "cabin" roughly and I love my crazy quirky place but I keep reminding myself no one lived here for a very long time so of course repairs are going to be on-going for awhile. We're doing the roof this summer and finishing putting up the siding and maybe even (gasp!) painting the whole crazy thing. This is after we finish some of the interior projects, the studio and utility room are the priority right now and when the utility room renovation is done---we are putting in some basic kitchen components to make it easier for all the outside living and entertaining we do. When we get that done I'll finally be able to finish my full kitchen (YAY!)
Doing all this remodeling and trying to keep the vintage feel on the place balanced with much needed updates all on a super tight budget is tricky but the challenge makes it fun too. Having a sister who works for our local Re-Store (Habitat for Humanity) has some definite perks :) I shop there a lot and the store employees have taken an interest in my quirky cabin and ongoing update progress and keep an eye out for older stuff that might "fit" my remodel. It's a win-win for me and the store because the area we are in doesn't really have a big re-sale market for the stuff I am specifically looking for and the stuff I am looking for doesn't usually sell quickly at the store, so letting me know they've got something in usually means moving it off their shelves due to me or one of my friends with similar projects coming in to buy that and checking out everything else they've had come in since the last visit :)
During the Re-Store's recent move from downtown to up they had a lot of odd stuff to clean out that just didn't sell and they borrowed my mom's mini-dump truck for debris runs to the dump. They offered us a perusal of the loads before they went to see if there was anything I could use for our ongoing repair remodel and for salvage/recycle for my art work. The result is a shed and yard full of odds & ends of building materials that are eventually translating to gorgeous stone tile in the kitchen---one of the upsides of having a small kitchen is you don't need large quantities of materials to do a complete upgrade--- little bits will do ;), materials for an eco gray water drainage system, our outdoor shower, some awesome antique wood trim & moldings for some upcoming projects of mine and we even got some much needed new-to-us office equipment/furniture. It worked out great for both us and the store as we got some odds and ends needed for projects that would have taken awhile to aquire due to budget constraints and the store had reduced bills for the dump.
Not so great for my overloaded storage areas but with the weather getting better and better more is being able to be completed and I'm slowly getting my "ME" space back :) Which I am really really REALLY looking forward to going and doing very soon.
Now off in search of my third and final cup of coffee and start of the physical chores of the day...HAPPY FRIDAY!
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