Welcome!

How many people can say that they live in their dream house, in their dream community? I happily can – even if said dream house happens to be a tiny bit broken.

Well, not broken broken – just in need of love, vision, and an endless stream of “minor” repairs. Oh – and money. This pretty house eats money:

But my love remains unwavering.

I’ll start by saying that I am what some might call an Old Soul. Absolutely head-over-heels in love with the details and beauty of old architecture, antique furnishings, and delicate, chippy, shabby-chic details. I am a born-and-raised New Yorker, but I’ve always yearned to live in a Victorian in the country. Just ask my Pintrest account.

I’ve been lucky enough to live the dream with my husband, Paul, and our two school-age boys, in our 1875 Victorian beauty in the quaint little rural town of Burton, Ohio for just over 2 years. The transition from city life to country has been transformative, sometimes terrifying, and often completely comical.

By New York standards, and heck, even by Ohio standards, the house is Big. Certainly way bigger than anything I’ve ever lived in before. Bigger than we had furniture for. What a problem to have!

Here’s what I’ve discovered about my charming new ‘hood: so many cheap antiques! And this magical land of possibilities: my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Here, I am known as the crazy lady fair maiden whose husband will not buy her a pickup truck, thereby I must tie the large bargain furniture that I buy to my trunk in highly questionable and exciting fashion. Most of these big, old, pretty things, like my house, need love and vision to reach their full potential.

Like this, teeny-tiny 8-foot 3 million pound solid hardwood dresser (more on this transformation soon!):

Noticing a pattern to my compulsion?

My dear readers: I’m so excited to share all of the transformations that have been inspired by my needy lovely house. I hope you’ll join me on journey of craft-sanity filled with satisfying “after” photos and questionable life decisions, all in the name of a beautiful home!

But first – a bit about how it all began.