Just One Word

I came across an interesting idea today through site called oneword365.com.   If you have moment take a look and consider this intriguing concept.  The idea is to choose one word to be your mantra, your focus, your theme if you will, for 2014.   The premise is to ditch that list of resolutions and have one single word begin to define the way you are going to live the coming year.  Not so easy to do when you sit and think about it.  After careful thought I decided upon the word BELIEVE.

For the next 365 days I commit to be guided by the word BELIEVE.  I will let this simple word that can encompass so much be my north star.  BELIEVE.  I will BELIEVE in myself.  I will BELIEVE in my dreams. I will BELIEVE in others and I will BELIEVE in my choices.

If you had to choose just one word for 2014 what would you settle upon?   Visit http://oneword365.com and learn about the power of one word.

2014 on its way and I am READY

Must be totally hones this whole blog thing has me so confused so thank you for sticking with me!  I will get it eventually.  I have so much to say and so much to share I think I need to better organize my thoughts and my projects {absolutely have to have ADD}.

2014 is just around the tiniest corner and I vow this will be my year to get my a** in gear.  I have started 50 projects that need to be finished and have hundreds and hundreds of ideas that I want to try out.

Bring on 2014...I am READY!

More work on the tiny bedroom

I have to be very honest, I never thought one tiny room could take up so much time. I am beginning to panic a little bit inside. I can't help but wonder if I will still be taking wallpaper down in this house a decade from now!

in my moments of calm I am happy though. I am actually amazed what a little attention can do to a room and it does encourage me. Slow and steady will get me there. I am on nobody's time schedule but my own.

The tiny room is being transformed. Take a look at the in progress pictures!

Tiny bedroom transformation

I honestly wasn't quite sure where to begin. I thought the worst room first approach might be the best. But, I honestly couldn't decide which room would win that contest. Instead I adopted a more practical approach. Bedrooms first because we have to sleep someplace!

The Little Lighthouse Room it is! Project number one a room for my youngest daughter to call her own. The room is itty bitty. Exact measurements escape me but its so small that it has a built in bed in it. The walls are completely covered with nautical themed wallpaper. Even the door panels are slathered with it.

I use DIF, fabric softener, a wallpaper steamer and I watch every you tube video I can find on wallpaper removal. I have never done this and it takes me days to strip the walls back down to its original plaster.

I find the signature of whoever put up this hideous wall covering on one of the walls. It says "papered May, 1947". I realize this wall paper has been stuck to these old walls for 66 years. No wonder it took me 3 full days to remove it.

Here are a few BEFORE pictures......

What have I done now.....

I fell in love with an old house.  A very old house.  1850 kind of old.  It stole my heart (and possibly my mind as well - at least the rational thinking part of my mind).  A very long divorce made it necessary to sell the house that I loved.  Now I begin again.  On my own.  With my daughters and my little dog who is my constant partner and my imagination of what could be.  I am taking on this old house which I realize is almost a metaphor for where I am in my life --- a bit broken - craving some attention and looking for revival.  As I take on each project to come I will be polishing myself off too.  Soon both this old house and I will be ready to take on the world again and greet the future with a smile.