Assortment

To Make Things Better

 

A cold front carrying a faint drizzle plowed the previous day's seventies high and made us reach for jackets on our way out the door. Rakes and wheelbarrow were brought from behind the shed - tools for the trade of spring yard cleaning if ever there were. A sweep of the ground beneath the willow tree produced heaps of this year's branches and last year's leaves; the tear-out of an old chicken run produced old wood and wire; an vigorous raking beneath the evergreens created mounds of cones, needles, and trash.

When one of our boys asked why we were cleaning up this part of the property, not even close to our house, and technically not even ours, we said that was simple: It was the right thing to do. 

Huh.

This concept was clearly not on original one with some of the three. It seemed at best, odd, and at worst, a waste of time. Clean up a place that isn't even ours?  For nothing?

Precisely.

 

 

But when they heard that burning patches of dead grass, waste wood, and yard debris was on the agenda, someone ran for a roll of toilet paper. Wad-wrapped around the ends of long, sturdy sticks, then soaked in diesel, then lit to flaming, they were matchsticks on steroids. You might imagine the grinning. Boys with torches in dry grass (closely watched and guided by dad, with all necessary precautions in place), yes, you can imagine.  

 

On and on we raked, we burned, we cleaned. We found the ground. We ran for cold pizza and guzzles of water. (And yes, some even dilly-dallied and rolled across the lawn, making odd Chewbacca noises now and then.) We leaned on rake handles and looked behind us at what we'd accomplished.

I smiled when, later in the day, a boy looked with satisfaction at the place where we'd begun and said, "That looks so much better."

 

 

Isn't it true that we often get so used to caring for our own, that our eyes rarely fall outside our neat & tidy circle? There may be a jumble over there that needs attention which nobody else can pay. But, for a snatch of weekend hours, we can. We'll take our boys along, step beyond our border, and with rakes, wheelbarrow, and fire, we'll do our best to make things better. 

 

 

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Have you been looking for a tastefully designed, small house plan that lives large? You may just find what you've been seeking in the Shelter Collection - four small floor plans designed for gracious living in 900-1400 square feet. Find the study plans & building plans here.

 

With What You Have | 45

 

Words about contentment inspired this series that celebrates ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. Join me in the comments and share what you've done with what you have! 

 

The built-in wardrobe beside my bed has only 16 inches of rod space, and I, just yesterday, took four more shirts out to donate. It has taken some experimenting, for sure, but I'm dialing in on what my wardrobe basics are at this stage in my life with all its current aspects - career, gardening, outdoor, casual, running. It's a good feeling.

For the giant portion of the past twenty-plus years, I've stocked my closet with thrifted goods. Thrifting has been like a treasure hunt, finding gems among the junk, while saving money and looking good in the process. I've developed rules for myself along the way to ensure that what I bring home is truly something that I'll wear:

+ Rule No.1: I have to LOVE it. Hands down. Without a single 'well, maybe...' involved.

+ Rule No.2: Don't buy it just because it's a steal (see Rule No.1).

+ Rule No.3: Don't buy a garment for a future circumstance that may or may not happen. Sound tricky? Simply put, it means that I can't purchase a garment in a size different than I currently am, in hopes that it will one day down the road be the right fit. I buy for right now.

+ Rule No.3: Buy classics, not trends. I've made this mistake, and don't want to repeat it. Longevity in style is just as important as longevity in fabric and construction. 

+ Rule No.4: As much as possible, buy garments made from natural fibers. Silk, cotton, bamboo, alpaca, merino, cashmere, and other natural fibers all feel so much better on the skin than man-made fibers such as polyester and acrylic. 

 

But despite the fact that I've sourced the larger portion of my wardrobe over the years at thrift stores, the fact is, with the manufacture outsourcing that has happened in that time, the over-all quality of the garment industry has declined drastically. I have to search much harder now to find quality goods. It's made me re-think things.  

I've taken to looking at my current wardrobe with a sharper eye. The quality pieces that I currently have are more immune when I sweep through with a purging hand. I'm left with the things that meet every point on the Rules List, so I know I'm on firm footing with the wardrobe basics. From this footing, I realized I could take some of the pieces that I have and alter them for a fresh new look, instead of searching for new ones.

Such a spring sort of thing to do. 

 

 

A pair of black linen pants and a pair of chinos were tossed on the bed for consideration. Maybe instead of the current full-leg length, a cropped version would be good?

While I've been known to hem my own pants, I decided this time to call on a lovely seamstress. Keiko is a beautiful Asian woman with a chic haircut and stunning smile. When you see her, you immediately want to know her. She meets her clients at an up-scale boutique in the next town over. You stand in front of a tall mirror in a beautifully draped fitting room and feel like a princess as she and the store proprietor fuss over you. When they compliment the fit of your garment, you know they really mean it. And when they agree that the idea of shortening the length on the black pair is a wonderful one, you have no doubt, either. When they think the look of the chinos couldn't be improved by shortening, well, you have to agree. Light and happiness all around. 

By mid next week, I'll have a 'new' pair of black linen pants waiting for me at the boutique. I had no idea that hiring a seamstress to hem one pair of pants would make me feel like royalty, but it does. 

Do what you can with what you have. 

 

 

Spring House Plan Sale!! Save 25% off through April 21, 2016 on all building plans in the Shelter Collection!

Have you been looking for a tastefully designed, small house plan that lives large? You may just find what you've been seeking in the Shelter Collection - four small floor plans designed for gracious living in 900-1400 square feet. Find the study plans & building plans here.

 

Storybook Window

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a deep affection for sure, and maybe you could even call it a love affair, this thing I have going on with the elliptical window. There's something alluring and storybook about them, an oval of glass that transports you to a different time and place.

When I was designing the houses in the Shelter Collection, I knew I'd use one somewhere if I could.

Turns out, in Shelters No.3 & 4, I had just the place: 

 

 

 

Here in the interior elevation, an elliptical window fit beneath the stairs, in a nook with a cushioned bench. There's a sconce to the right and a built-in bookcase to the left. 

 

 

Just the place to curl up with a good book and a mug of something steamy, no? 

Storybook, indeed.

 

All building plans in the Shelter Collection are on sale now! Save 25% off the regular price (that's $500 off per plan!) through April 21, 2016.

 

+ Shop the Shelter Collection here.

+ More about the Shelter Collection right over here.

 

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