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100TH BLOG POST!

Ten months ago I started this blogging journey with my first post.  I was excited, and very very nervous.

It began as a way to document the design process of our family’s future home – Arrow Hill Cottage – and as time went along I realized that I loved educating my readers about all sorts of aspects of home design, decorating and upkeep. In October, I organized the website into three major post categories: DESIGN your home, LOVE your home, and IMPROVE your home.

I have had the joy of featuring reader’s homes – and helping with their design dilemmas through the Makeover Takeover series. The connection I have made with my audience has been one of the most amazing and unexpected benefits of this journey so far.

I’ve learned some tough lessons, and made some mistakes. I’m still learning how to be a blogger – but I’m excited to continue doing what I’m doing here, in my own little corner of the internet.

We will find out soon if we will be able to build our cottage this Spring/Summer – and in anticipation I have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes in preparation. I have a ton of content just ready to hit the blog!

To be sharing this journey with all of you is a privilege. Thank you for encouraging me through 100 posts!

 

THOUGHTS ON BUILDING

Today is ‘National Walk Out Of School Day‘. It is an event that is part protest and part memorial – a way to acknowledge and mourn the loss of the 17 victims killed in the most recent, though sadly no longer uncommon, mass school shooting.

As you might imagine, this post is not at all about the building of our new house, but something altogether entirely different.

The building of our children

When I was a junior in high school, I remember filling out the job quality worksheet for the counselor. It was used as a way to direct the students who weren’t sure what path they would be taking after high school – College? Working in a trade? What industry? I’m sure there were plenty of my classmates who found the results of this worksheet useful, but I didn’t need any direction. I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to be. An architect.

 

I wanted to design buildings and watch them be built

And I did just that. I studied diligently for five years and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree and a final GPA of 3.99. I dare say that I was near the top of my graduating class. I loved everything about architecture and was ready to start putting my education to practice. I easily landed a job in my desired community and set to work.

 

Two years later, I got pregnant

Craig and I had agreed that when our first child arrived, I would become a stay at home mom. I remember how nervous I was to tell my boss. By all accounts, I was on track to reach my ultimate goal of becoming an architect – and suddenly, that plan was being derailed. Regret was filling my mind. Am I throwing away my career? What will my colleagues think about this decision? Is being a stay at home parent really important?

The months leading up to the birth of {D} were full of mixed emotions; And the day we left the hospital with him snuggled in the car-seat next to me – I sobbed. My life had done a literal 180.

Over the course of the next 11 years, we added 4 more bundles of love to our family – both through birth and the beauty of adoption. I found a good balance of being able to meet our children’s needs and to feed my passion for design – working from home for various architecture firms, on a very part time basis.

 

Here, 11 years later – I can reflect on that major decision

Was it worth it? I would say absolutely. I didn’t realize it then, but I was making a shift from the building of structures to the building of my children.

Children need parents to guide them, shape them, teach them right from wrong. They need someone there to pick them up if they fall, to catch the warning signs of depression or violent behavior. To provide them with a moral compass.

Sadly, I feel that too many children today are thrown into the waters of life and told to swim on their own – to find their own way in the dark. Parents are busy with their careers and in many cases are working hard to provide their children with every opportunity – Sport instruction, music lessons, the newest video game. In reality, what children need is time with their parents. Presence over presents.

What has been happening in schools is tragic. It’s political. It’s senseless. I don’t plan on getting into any sort of debate on the topic except for this one statement I think we can all agree on: It shouldn’t be this way.

Each time one of these heinous crimes is committed, we sit and wait for the media to report what we know will surely be the case – these are people, kids, whose warning signs were missed. They were troubled and ignored. Their emotional and mental needs were not met.

 

In response to today’s walk out – there is an additional movement.

WALK UP

Walk up to someone who is considered an outcast and let them know they have a friend. Walk up to the person sitting alone and start a conversation. Walk up to the person you have been arguing with and agree to resolve your differences. Walk up – and as a society we can wake up. We are all in this together.

Walk up to your children and hug them. Tell them you love them. Encourage your children. Speak life to them. Give them the building blocks to become a productive member of community. It all starts at home.

 

I understand that being a stay at home parent isn’t a path that is necessarily available (or desirable) for everyone; But personally, I will forever be grateful that it is the direction our family chose. And even though I may not be designing award winning structures, I feel that my contributions are equally important.

Long after the sky scrapers and monuments crumble and decay, humanity will continue on. It is built of stronger things.

 

 

A TOUGH LESSON LEARNED

I had an entirely different post prepared for today, but I need to take a moment and acknowledge something that happened this week, which will change the course of how I blog going forward.

I started this website in July 2017 without much knowledge at all of what I was getting myself into. Sure, I took a few free online courses and read a ton of material about best blogging practices, but nothing quite teaches you the ropes of blogging than a tough lesson learned.

On Thursday afternoon I had just laid our youngest daughter down for her afternoon nap when I heard the doorbell ring. The postal lady was standing there, certified mail in one hand and a digital scanner in the other. I immediately got the feeling that this was bad news. After signing for the package, I said “I’m nervous to open this!” then closed the door and walked over to my dining room table.

Inside, just as I suspected, was bad news – a letter from the legal counsel of an online presence with proof that I had infringed on their copyright with a graphic that I had used in one of my posts. They requested that I remove the graphic immediately and send them a large monetary damage settlement.

 

This felt like a punch to the throat.

 

Here I am, less than a full year into my blogging journey – being dealt what felt like a giant blow. It took me a second to really wrap my head around what I had just read. It was true. I HAD used their material in my post, there was absolutely no denying that. In fact, I hadn’t even tried to hide that the material wasn’t my own.  In the post I had included a link back to the original source of the graphic, which in my ‘baby blogger’ mind was what I was supposed to do in order to be sure that nobody reading my post thought that the graphic was my own.

 

That was naive reasoning, and it bit me back big time.

 

My next step was to get in touch with my blogging friends, and ask them if they had ever been through anything similar or if they had any advice. One friend pointed me to this blog post – which scared the living daylights out of me.

I immediately removed the graphic from my blog, then contacted the email address listed in the letter to beg for forgiveness. I’m thankful to report that they agreed to show me mercy and reduced my fine significantly. The check is in the mail.

 

So, what dos all this mean you might ask?

It means that I spent a good portion of Friday scouring through my past 93 blog posts and picking out the 14 that have material that could be considered questionable. It means that I will be spending the next couple of weeks contacting the owners of these images/graphics and asking them for permission to use them on my site.

It means that from this moment forward I will be strictly using my own photographs and graphics, or paid stock photos from reputable sites. Be expecting a lot of original content from this website from here on out!

It means that I have learned my lesson. And as tough of a lesson that it is to learn, I am actually very grateful that this wake up call came now – when my blog is still establishing itself – and not in the future when I have 993 blog posts to sort through instead of a mere 93. Goodness, I’m grateful for that.

 

I hope that my mistake can be a lesson to you as well. Do your research and know the rules.

Behind every image on the web, whether a photograph or informational graphic, is a person who worked to create it. They made the effort, and they have the right to choose where it is shown and how it is portrayed. And as I work to add more original content to my website, I will want the same protection and rights. Lesson learned.

 

 

TAKING SMALL STEPS

I’m still in full out research mode around here these days – trying to figure out the best way to organize my content so that this website and blog are easy to navigate and the site seems consistent with my vision, and consistent with everything else I am putting out on social media to ‘market’ the website.

And because I tend to use images/visuals to understand how things work, I thought it might be helpful to share my current thoughts on how this will be accomplished.

As you can see, the ARROW HILL COTTAGE site will continue to be the main landing place – with two sub-branches: Arrow Hill STUDIO and Arrow Hill FAMILY

  • Arrow Hill COTTAGE:
    • The main focus of the blog is to discuss and teach home design & decorating ideas, and parallel these ideas with how we are designing (and eventually building) our cottage.  There will also be posts about the sub-branch topics, but they won’t come up quite as frequently.
    • Some post ideas include: tutorials on using free design software, simple DIY projects, tips on how to arrange furniture, organizational techniques, inspirational home images, our house design (and eventually build!)  and more!
    • There are public ‘social media’ / browser links to each of the following:
  • Arrow Hill STUDIO:
    • As mentioned in this post, the studio is all about the art I create.  Eventually, when I open the Etsy shop, it will be linked near the top of the website.
    • There is a separate Instagram account for the studio, where I will post about the new designs I am working on, and which products are available.  (IG link here)
  • Arrow Hill FAMILY:
    • I was finding that I really love to write and share about our beautiful family, yet that was never my initial intention for this website.  Of course, they will be making cameo appearances on the blog, specifically in the ‘Around Here’ feature that will happen near the end of each month.
    • For those of you who want to know more about us and our daily lives, you can follow us:
      • on YouTube (public). A separate YouTube account has been created here – This is where we will add all family related videos (including moving over the ones we have already created).  Having the separate YouTube channel for family videos means that the Arrow Hill Cottage YouTube channel, which will feature only DIY & tutorial type videos, can be kept consistent with the website.
      • on Instagram (private).  Craig and I will both be posting to this IG account, which is intended for friends and family.  You can request to join/ follow here.  Though the family will still show up on occasion on the public Arrow Hill Cottage IG site, we are going to be able to dive in deep on our private page – posting details about things like… Craig’s knee surgery which is coming up soon!

Hopefully these little updates won’t be too confusing.  I feel like they will really help me keep my vision focused and still allow me to post about a variety of things.

We are still busy making some website changes as well, which will hopefully go live in a week or two. Oh, and the busy factor is really ramping up around here these days, with school just around the corner. I wouldn’t be surprised if posts are less frequent over the coming weeks – just so you know!

Again, thank you for all the support.  I am enjoying walking down this path, one small step at a time.

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: DIRECTION

Ok. I know.  It’s not a sketch, but it’s what has been on my mind a lot lately.

I won’t go into much detail besides simply saying that I can sense this blog is starting to head in a direction that I never intended it to take…so I am going to be working over the next weeks/months to try to steer it back in line with my initial vision.  The Saturday Sketchbook feature will likely still continue on, but may not happen quite as frequently, so that I share sketches I truly want to instead of scrambling to get something together just to ‘check’ the box.

Craig is my default technology person, and will be helping me make some modifications to the website layout as well, but keep in mind that we are both very new to this, and learning as we go.  There are sure to be some hiccups along the way!  (If you are an email subscriber you will have already experienced one! ha!)

On my letter board this week I have this quote:

And it is so, so true.  I’m really looking forward to what this blog and website could turn into, but it scares me at the same time.  I need to place those fears to the side and just put one foot in front of the other to make this a space that truly represents what I want to share. At the end of the day, I need to remember that the journey is just as beautiful as the destination itself.

Thanks for walking it with me.

 

FAMILY COMMAND CENTER

Let’s just take a moment and acknowledge (or stand in wonder/confusion) that I have been a mom for over 10 years and just recently put together our very first family command center.  When it was finished, I stood back and thought ‘WHY did it take me so long to do this?!’ It just makes good plain sense! As an organization junkie, I’m totally geeking out about it – and maybe sharing our space can give you some tips to help keep your own family organized!

Again, I’d like to mention that we are renting our current house from family members.  Though they have given us quite a bit of liberty to make design choices, Craig has drawn the line on a few things he will absolutely not allow me/us to tackle no matter how many times I ask.  One of them is the painting of the kitchen cabinets.  This kitchen was remodeled in the 1960’s and I believe the cabinets are primarily constructed of oak hardwood, which are stained a very dark color.  The only natural light source in the space is a small window above the sink, and so those cabinets really make the room seem very dark.  I’ve lobbied to paint them all white, and add some fresh new hardware – but he’s not budging and I would like to stay married, so it’s a no go.

But… what happens behinds closed doors stays behind closed doors, right?!  😉

In the kitchen there is a tall cabinet in one corner of the room.  We have used it for pantry storage since we moved in nearly 3 years ago; But it’s depth meant that a lot of items were inaccessible or were forgotten about – helllooooo stale cheerios!  Through time, the bottom portion even became a space where footballs were stored.  I cringe at the memory.

Here is a BEFORE picture.  The cleaned out pantry space.  Note the lovely contact paper on the shelves and the unfinished flooring below.

Let me tell you…. they don’t make contact paper like they did in the 1960’s.  That stuff was made to last!  I was eventually able to peel it all off, but woah.  Just woah.  I also managed to finally finish the flooring by using the more high quality peel and stick tiles over the existing chee-po peel and stick tiles.  It’s an upgrade. (Note to self: In the new house… REAL thickness tile only.  Please!)

I then used some barn wood that we had on hand to line the back wall.  I found a floating shelf at Target that matched the texture and color perfectly and though it gave him quite a struggle, Craig was eventually able to attach it to the barn wood wall.  The inside of the cabinet doors were painted the same mint blue color as the decorative ‘niches’ we have in our kitchen.  From there it was a matter of adding the functional pieces and making it pretty!  I thought it might be easier (and more fun!) to do a video of the space pointing out all of the little details instead of typing them.  Behold the first ever YouTube video that includes my face talking.  Be gentle on me people, it can only get better from here.

And there you have it!  Our family is now on track to be ultra organized! Though we have only had it functional for about a week, I’m happy to report that the kitchen counters aren’t littered with papers, and the kids have been having fun playing with all the activities that are right at their fingertips. And can I just say that pointing them in the command center’s direction when they ask, yet again, ‘what’s for dinner?!?’ has been a treat.

Everything can be tucked away behind closed doors – great for when company comes over!  There is a sweet space for photos, and a charging station for the phones/ipads.

There is space in this command center for both adults (top half) and kids (bottom half).  I get a sleek barn wood wall to look at when I am writing a blog post or browsing on Pinterest.  The kids have access to all sorts of fun activities down below – coloring books, play doh, etc – as well as a spot for their Ticket System (chores/ commission)

The Meal Rotation clipboard is in easy viewing distance for the kiddos, so they don’t need to ask mom what’s for dinner.  Stylish file folders make organizing bills and paperwork more tolerable.

My favorite piece?  Probably the three ‘Plan of Action’ calendars!  I’m a list maker… remember?  I love sitting down at the end of the day and writing down my top 3 goals for the following day.  I think that seeing what is to come helps prepare me, and makes me less anxious.  I have made each of these calendars (monthly, weekly and daily) available in pdf form.  By clicking on the images below you can print your own to use.  As mentioned in the video, I print off one of each sheet and then make them into DIY dry erase boards by placing them in a clear plastic binder protector (then folding back the binder portion or cutting it off).  That way, I waste less paper and spend less time printing.

Maybe these calendars can be your first step toward making a command center for your own family.

         

Enjoy and happy organizing!

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: COLLEGE DAYS

Today’s installation is bringing us waaaaay back to my college architecture days.  I went to NDSU, in Fargo, North Dakota – and as part of our curriculum we were asked to sketch any buildings that were ‘interesting’ to us.  I spent quite a bit of time in the downtown area sketching the many historic buildings there.

This sketch is of the Northern Pacific Railway Depot which was designed by the Architect Cass Gilbert in the year 1889.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, as a landmark in the area, because of it’s beautiful design and historical significance.  At the time this sketch was drawn in May of 2000, when I was a sophomore in college, it was being used as ‘The Depot Plaza’.  I wonder what it is being used for today?

Have a happy Saturday everyone!

TWO NEW BOOKS + BIG PLANS

I mentioned in this post how much I enjoy house design, home decor and DIY type books.  I am happy to report that my collection grew by two this past weekend.  There isn’t a Barnes and Noble in our town, so it is a real treat to stop in on our way back from visiting family in North Dakota.

These books caught my attention and came home with me (click on the titles to get a closer look on Amazon)

Young House Love

Flea Market Style

They are both super inspiring!  I spent the remainder of the drive home pouring over each page, then entered our house and thought up a million ideas that I could bring to life!  Yesterday I started Project #1.  You will have to wait for the great reveal, but here is a sneak peak in the meantime.  Eeeeek!  So excited!  I’m starting to think that organization is my love language!

It’s blisteringly hot and humid here today, and I am more than happy to stay indoors with the A/C blasting – sorting and tidying things up.  Sounds like a perfect day.

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: ARROW HILL STUDIO

I have been working on some art pieces in preparation to open my Etsy shop, Arrow Hill Studio.  This is one of the most recent sketches which will be cleaned up and re-formatted into the art style I am working with right now – layered paper cut designs.  It is my goal that by the end of July I will have the shop up and running and I can share more of my creations with all of you!

 

7 SIMPLE TIPS FOR ROAD TRIPPING WITH KIDS

Our family doesn’t go on a ton of vacations, but we do make a 6 hour trek in our van at least a couple times every year to visit the grandparents.  As summer travel ramps up, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the tips we have collected over the years to help make traveling with kids a bit easier.

TIP 1:  CLEAN YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE THE TRIP

I know, I know. When you are planning a big trip, cleaning the vehicle probably isn’t even on your radar; But it should be.  Your family is going to be spending a lot of time in close quarters, and surrounding yourself with clutter and trash is an invitation for chaos.  Start the trip in the right state of mind by getting everything tidied up before you pull out of your driveway.  Trust me. Organization is going to be key.  If your child suddenly needs something and it can’t be found because it is buried under piles of other things, a meltdown is sure to happen.  Keep necessary items in easy reach and make sure to bring with a few extra trash bags, to keep your freshly cleaned digs that way.

Want to clean quickly?  Check out this post for tips on how to get the job done fast!

You might also want to think about having the vehicle serviced and the oil changed.  Doesn’t hurt to give it the old once over, to make sure everything is working properly.  As always, make sure you have the proper seasonal items along, especially if you will be traveling during the winter months (shovel, ice scraper, jumper cables, blankets, hot packs, snow boots, etc)

TIP 2: STASH EXTRA CLOTHES

This is especially important if you have very young children.  Whether it’s from a toileting accident, car sickness, marker stains or juice spills, the last thing you want to do is rummage through all of your carefully packed luggage for a new outfit to put on your little one.  Grab a gallon size Ziploc bag and toss in extra pants, socks, underwear and a shirt.  You may not need to use it – but you will be thankful to have it ready if you do!

TIP 3: FIND THE RIGHT SEATING ARRANGEMENT

You understand your family dynamics best. You know which kids like to push each other’s buttons, who needs more help from mom and dad, and who needs more personal space.  Although it might seem like a hassle to rearrange car seats from their standard everyday locations, sometimes it can be the most practical thing to do.  We have a mini van and typically the girls seats are in the middle row with the boys in the back; but for long rides the boys just feel way too packed in sitting together, so we do some rearranging (Two boys in the middle and one boy in the back with both girls.)  Thankfully our boys are old enough to help the girls if they need something from the back row.  You might need to play a game of musical seats until you get it right – but when you find the perfect combination it will be worth the extra effort!

Have lots of littles in car seats?  Check out the Diono brand – their models are more narrow, so you can fit 3 across the back bench seat.

TIP 4: HAVE ENTERTAINMENT READY

The modern day electronics such as on-board DVD players, ipads, and tablets are obviously very effective; But if you don’t want your kids looking like zombies when you reach your destination, try to include other activities such as coloring books, license plate bingo and other travel games.  Our kids enjoy listening to stories on CD, such as Adventures In Odyssey and silly songs like those by the Okee Dokee Brothers.  Even the popular fidgets can provide some tech-free car ride fun for kids.

Visit This website for links to a ton of fun looking travel road games that you can print for free!

TIP 5: PACK COMFORT ITEMS

Car-time naps are few and far between for our kids as they are getting older, but we still like to keep them as comfortable as possible should the need arise for one.  A special blanket, comfy pillow or favorite stuffed friend all come in really handy to keep kids calm and possibly (fingers crossed!) help them drift off into dreamland.

TIP 6: BRING ALONG PLENTY OF SNACKS

For our long rides, this is not an optional tip.  This is a rule to live by.  Hungry kids are not happy kids, and that’s a fact.  To avoid making pit stops every hour for food, pack snacks.  Instead of buying the individual serving sized convenience packages, opt for the family/bulk sized snack containers.  Not only will it be less expensive per ounce, but you will avoid having all that wrapper waste.  I recommend passing out snacks in small bowls or baggies.

We like to bring along a variety of fairly clean, kid friendly snacks – nothing too sticky, crumbly or easily melted. Some of our favorites include apple slices, baby carrots, string cheese, nuts and goldfish.  Try to keep the sugar rush to a minimum by packing healthy options.

Want more car snacking ideas?  Be sure to visit this site!

Make sure to have hand sanitizer and wet wipes at the ready for when the kiddos get the munchies!

TIP 7: PLAN STOPS ALONG THE WAY

Kids need to move.  They also need to pee.  You are going to need to stop at some point along the journey and it makes sense to figure out ahead of time where you are going to stretch your legs.  Find a stop along the way that is not far off of the main road you are traveling – with access to a gas station, toilets and preferably a park.  We have found that even a quick 15 minute stop can refresh our family and prepare us for the road ahead.

There you have it!  Although kids can be unpredictable and it is impossible to plan for every situation that may happen, by following the advice listed above you should be on your way to a fun and calm road trip!  Happy travels!