Category: Uncategorized

New House – Prairie Four Square

This past fall my parents decided to sell their place in Montana and move to our small town.  So very exciting.  It ended up happening very quickly because the market there was VERY hot.  Their absolutely amazing Realtor got them all set up and got offers in 24 hrs.  They settled on one offer and the closing date was 30 days out.  WHOA!!  Coincidentally a house on the market in our town was one that Dave had admired – but it was 2 stories and needed a lot of love.  Instead of having my parents there, we got that house, and my parents are in the 1 story Prairie Cape.

I have a set of notes filled with inspiration ideas on what to do with the exterior. A good amount of dog space, a garden and a porch, feature in every single saved picture.

It feels a bit cut off the way that it is laid out now. The house was moved at some point and the entire downstairs has been stripped of the old hardwood, trim and doors. The floor in the kitchen, hallway and bedroom had been updated, but there is significant water damage that went all the way thru.

The upstairs still has the hardwood under the carpet – YEAH!!!! The trim, doors and handles are present as well. This will be a great base for us to work off of.

More to come!

Prairie Cape wrap-up

As I mentioned previously. I am doing some catch up here.  So let’s do a wrap on the Cape house.

There has been a lot going on in our household over the past while and in the interest of getting everyone caught up – here is a brief recap and then some of the projects that we did in the Prairie Cape before we moved.

Dave and I busted out a bunch of projects on the Prairie Cape (not as much as we would have liked – but when are we ever satisfied?  🙂  )  This past fall my parents decided to sell their place in Montana and move to our small town.  So very exciting.  It ended up happening very quickly because the market there was VERY hot.  Their absolutely amazing Realtor got them all set up and got offers in 24 hrs.  They settled on one offer and the closing date was 30 days out.  WHOA!!  Coincidentally a house on the market in our town was one that Dave had admired – but it was 2 stories and needed a lot of love.  Instead of having my parents there, we got that house, and my parents are in the 1 story Prairie Cape.

Here are the most updated pics from the house before we moved.

Bar Addition

Let’s get into a project that turned into something more than it was supposed to be.

Dave and I had a set of patio doors put in and then wanted to have a screened in porch. Ha!!

It quickly morphed into a room that we could utilize all year round.

Very Quickly 🙂

We still had some work to do on the floor and the back wall – but everything else I loved.

I added the wallpaper to the fridge. A neighbor gifted us the top of a Hoosier cabinet that we were able to put up on the back wall. LOVE. I set up this super cute hot cocoa station for the kids. I love hot cocoa or tea in the winter. Jane uses it the most out of all of us.

Super happy with where it ended up.

Kitchen and Living Room Updates

As I mentioned previously. I am doing some catch up here. 

There has been a lot going on in our household over the past while and in the interest of getting everyone caught up – here is a brief recap and then some of the projects that we did in the Prairie Cape before we moved.

Dave and I busted out a bunch of projects on the Prairie Cape (not as much as we would have liked – but when are we ever satisfied?  🙂  )  This past fall my parents decided to sell their place in Montana and move to our small town.  So very exciting.  It ended up happening very quickly because the market there was VERY hot.  Their absolutely amazing Realtor got them all set up and got offers in 24 hrs.  They settled on one offer and the closing date was 30 days out.  WHOA!!  Coincidentally a house on the market in our town was one that Dave had admired – but it was 2 stories and needed a lot of love.  Instead of having my parents there, we got that house, and my parents are in the 1 story Prairie Cape.

Here is the picture I took the day we got the keys.


We had the walls and floors redone completely before we started working on anything else.  It was tough and we did not end up moving in for months.

I ended up taking out the soffits and moving the cabinets to the ceiling (sound familiar?). It gave us a lot more space. We also took out one lower cabinet and modified it for a small dishwasher. A new stove, microwave, and fridge rounding out the appliances.

The lighting was updated to some easy peasy pendants we found locally and then a custom light fisture over the sink I had done from Etsy.

My favorite light fixture (in the middle of the kitchen) has been with us for 3 houses. Its vintage and so cool. Also, so bright it might hurt your eyes….. 🙂

Kids Gift Ideas – Amazon Finds

I am one of those people that like to get my Christmas shopping done pretty early. Usually well before Black Friday – but there have been times when I wait, so that I can get my hands on something specific.

In the hopes of helping anyone who is looking for something different for gift giving this holiday, here are a few of the awesome things I found and purchased for the kids in my life.

  1. Galaxy Projector: I bought this 2 years ago for Jane and it is awesome. I think I love it more than the girls do. It is so nice to have the bluetooth and control on your phone or a remote.
  2. Cards Against Humanity – Family Edition: I love to play Cards Against Humanity and what a good way to bring the fam into it…..without being COMPLETELY inappropriate 🙂
  3. Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro: You can print any photo you take and connect to any mobile device with Bluetooth. Digital is great, but it is so fun to have those physical instant photos to share and save.
  4. Young Chefs Cookbook: America’s Test Chicken Cookbook for Young Chefs. LOVE this! My mom gave me a similar cookbook when I was young, and I made almost everything in it. Perfect way to introduce kids to cooking on their own.
  5. Kinco Mittens: Great for those cold days playing outside all day, skiing, snowmobiling, or ice-skating.
  6. JBL Clip 4 – Portable Speaker: My kids have always loved portable speakers. They like a little bit more punch and volume than their phones can give them. This is awesome. Lots of colors to choose from.

Little One Gift Ideas – Amazon Finds

I am one of those people that like to get my Christmas shopping done pretty early. Usually well before Black Friday – but there have been times when I wait, so that I can get my hands on something specific.

In the hopes of helping anyone who is looking for something different for gift giving this holiday, here are a few of the awesome things I found and purchased for the little ones in my life.

  1. Personalized Name Puzzle: I LOVE this. Jane was such a puzzle girl. I have the best memories of Jane sitting on the floor putting her puzzles together. This one is especially sweet because they can associate the letters with their name. Order early so they have time to personalize!
  2. Indoor Playset-Climber: What I wouldn’t give to go back in time and have this for the girls – especially in winter. The best part about this, is if you are limited on space, when it is not in use – you can fold it up.
  3. Lavendar infused Stuffed Animal: Not gunna lie…..Jane, Jules and I each have one of these. They are cute, sweet and calming.
  4. Ugg Uni sex Bixbee Bootie: They come in two different colors and are perfect for keeping those little toes warm this season.
  5. Baby and Toddler Hat and Mitten Sets: The choices available for these sets are awesome. I love the bolts and the white knit the best.
  6. Fleece Hooded Rompers-multiple colors: Who wouldn’t want to cuddle up in one of these rompers? My kids lived in these when they were younger.
  7. Farm to Table Play Kitchen: How many times have you be served a meal by your little ones? Isn’t this just the cutest kitchen? They will love creating you a meal in this play space.
  8. Guess How Much I Love You Bunny: A gentle reminder to your little one of your love. Something to hold on to.
  9. Climb and Crawl Soft Foam Playset: This is another thing that I would have loved to have in the house when the girls were little.

I hope this helps! Happy Holiday gift giving.

Mudroom Addition

There has been a lot going on in our household over the past while and in the interest of getting everyone caught up – here is a brief recap and then some of the projects that we did in the Prairie Cape before we moved.

Dave and I busted out a bunch of projects on the Prairie Cape (not as much as we would have liked – but when are we ever satisfied?  🙂  )  This past fall my parents decided to sell their place in Montana and move to our small town.  So very exciting.  It ended up happening very quickly because the market there was VERY hot.  Their absolutely amazing Realtor got them all set up and got offers in 24 hrs.  They settled on one offer and the closing date was 30 days out.  WHOA!!  Coincidentally a house on the market in our town was one that Dave had admired – but it was 2 stories and needed a lot of love.  Instead of having my parents there, we got that house, and my parents are in the 1 story Prairie Cape.

Well – after going through a winter in our Prairie house, it became abundantly clear that we need a landing area.  Our family indulges in a lot of winter activities, snowmobiling, skiing, ice skating, etc.  With those activities comes equipment and snow on boots.  I like my wood floors; they are super pretty and in the interest of keeping them gorg – Dave and I decided on an addition to the west side of our home.

Pre-Work – getting those steps out.

That wasn’t so bad!!


ANNNDDDDDDD a big jump to where we poured the pad and worked on getting the walls and roof up.  That wood cladding is staying.  I love it.  Since this is a true mudroom/landing pad for the whole family – we decided to do metal wall panels.  I could even use a hose to take care of any messes.  love

Since this is a true mudroom/landing pad for the whole family – we decided to do metal wall panels.  I could even use a hose to take care of any messes.  love

And just my luck – this is the last picture that I took of this room.  We ended up with shelving for our boots, hook system for our hats and gear, a utility sink, etc.  It was a really great landing spot – so glad that we did it.