Who doesn’t love a good Before and After photo, especially when it comes to homes. For nearly 10 years, I found my passion in restoring and remodeling homes in our neighborhood. My business, Picket Fences, would breathe new life into older homes. This concept was long before “flippers” came onto the housing scene. With every home, I would take great care to renovate with integrity.

While I was in high school, my parents bought a 1771 historical Colonial home that needed extensive renovation.  Mom and I would spend countless hours discussing this restoration project. I felt so grown up knowing that Mom bounced ideas off of me, but in retrospect it was probably because Dad wasn’t as interested in the details. However, that was the beginning of my love of historic home remodeling.

The photo above is my mother who stripped off numerous layers of wallpaper and found the original wallpaper in our front hall. We assume the design was from the late 1770s as it was hand printed. She carefully removed a full repeat and sent it to Schumacher. Schumacher reproduced it and called it “Norwich” after our hometown. I think there may have been a few free rolls given to us. My mother was very resourceful.

Our Own Home~Bella Terra

Bella Terra, built in 1910, is the 4th renovated home for us.  I have also purchased, remodeled and sold 6 others.  In looking through old photos, I thought you would like to see some Before and After shots.  Granted some of them are before digital cameras, but for the most part, you can see the improvements. To read more about the restoration of our home, click here.

The Berridge Remodel

Curb appeal and the attractiveness of the exterior of any home creates a lasting first impression.  If it doesn’t catch your eye at first glance, then you can anticipate that the rest of the house is probably subpar.

Here is the original entrance of a long brick ranch-style home that I remodeled in 2008. An unattractive security screen door, unsafe sidewalk, deteriorating rafters, and small scale light fixtures add to the ugly entrance. But being a brick, ranch-style home on a large lot on a very pretty street, made me excited to take on this project.

In order to create a wider entry, custom double doors are fitted.  We then add an overhang to break up the long, low, linear lines of the roof of the house.

Notice the improved walkway, the fresh paint and the well-lit entry. Here is the street view…..Before…

And After…Notice the new windows, siding, roof, house, landscape lighting and the addition of shutters. This was one of my favorite remodels.  It has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and the most amazing mud/laundry/craft/office room with a gorgeous back yard. A new family just recently purchased it and they love it as much as I do.

The Myrtle Remodel

This sweet small ranch has such potential but is obviously dated and in a state of disrepair.  Here is the front entrance before.

Here is the after.  The colors were inspired by a home on my favorite street in Stonington Borough, Connecticut.  Since the windows are single paned, I replace them with new energy efficient casement ones. New wider shutters, a batten barn siding, a new asphalt roof and weathervane give the home a fresh appeal. The oval window provides some curves to a rather angular house. Adding a custom shuttered front door provides security and ventilation at the entrance.

In this remodel, I create a new master bedroom and bath out of the original garage. Closing the existing carport provides off street parking for two cars.

The Central Avenue Remodel

Here is another long, low brick ranch from the 1950s. The front door is a cheap, hollow core closet door.  Odd stacked stone below the brick facade is a bit of a visual distraction. I am not wild about the roof, but after some research, I discover it is a very expensive composite with a lifetime warranty.

It takes some creativity to mask the stacked stone and do so using a wainscoting technique. Once painted white, it gives the house a more formal traditional look.

I am a big window person. To me, windows are the eyes of the house. If the windows are cheap or the wrong style, the house feels off. New windows provide greater energy efficiency, which is important during our Phoenix summers.

Black shutters, paned windows, a new front entrance and pretty landscaping, the entry looks much more appealing. The roof is no longer an eye sore because your eye is drawn down to more attractive details.

The Willetta Restoration

This 1920’s Jeffersonian gem requires a massive restoration. Behind the main house is the guest cottage. There was an apartment attached to the front of this building, making it an awkward space. 

When we demolished the building we discover the original garage and barn doors.  Unfortunately we could not salvage the hinged doors as they are too damaged.

Here is what it looks like now as a newly converted guest cottage. New windows and doors, siding, landscaping and a custom built arbor, increase the curb appeal of this sweet structure. To read more about this Willetta home restoration, click here.

The main house, built in 1922, had been vacant for over 20 years and was in a state of disrepair when I purchased it.

Finally it has been brought back to its original grandeur.  Removing the aluminum siding showcases the original clapboard. A new roof, repaired columns, appropriate lighting and a new 2 story addition on the back makes this a historical charmer.

I love any and all Before and After pictures~~ of people and makeovers, homes, just about anything.  As I sort through the thousands of photos, I will continue to share other remodels with you.

To see another post on Before and After pictures from the internet, click here.

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This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #645

It is SO nice to be home and able to write a Saturday Meanderings again. Sorry for being absent the last few weeks, but it’s been a bit frenetic. So grab a cup of coffee and let’s catch up with all new and exciting things that are happening.

Trip Back East

As I have mentioned before, I am flying back and forth to Connecticut to settle up my aunt’s affairs. The good news is that upon arrival, the hydrangeas are starting to bloom. The bad news is the excessive high temperatures and equally high humidity are unbearable in my aunt’s home ~which is not air conditioned. Plus there is no internet. Groan.

But with only a few minor injuries and very sore muscles from moving furniture, I did get a lot accomplished. When the long flight back to Phoenix landed late at night, I was just SO HAPPY TO BE HOME. My sweet husband picked me up at the airport and on the way home this happened….

While we are waiting on the exit ramp for the light to change, an out of control white pickup truck traveling at excessive speeds comes out of nowhere and lands perpendicular on the front of our car, A nasty 5 car pile up and fortunately no one is injured~which is almost hard to believe. Since this is an open investigation I can’t share much more, but 3 hours later, we are finally able to go home, stunned, shaken and glad to be alive.

Another Watermelon Recipe

If you missed the blog post last week about my favorite watermelon recipes you can find it here. We are consuming so much of this delicious fruit, which is a delightful on our hot days. Here is another recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen. I cut corners and make this Watermelon Frosé a bit easier and it is equally delicious.

Freeze 4 cups of watermelon (cut into 1″ cubes). I froze mine on a cookie sheet. In a blender (I use my Vitamix), add the watermelon cubes, 1 bottle of chilled Rose wine and a squirt of agave syrup (optional) and blend until slushy. You may need to stir it up a bit as you go. Serve with a fresh mint sprig. Yum.Yum.

Frozen Dog Treats

You can buy frozen dog treats in the freezer section of your grocery store (like Frosty Paws). However, if I cannot recognize an ingredient or if there are more chemicals than actual food, I don’t buy the item for us (or our dogs).

It is easy to make your own dog ice cream using plain yogurt and peanut (or another nut) butter. Mix the yogurt and peanut butter (use whatever quantities you like) until well blended. Place in small containers. As an added bonus I put in a cut up Greenie (or similar dog treat) in the middle. Place in freezer.

I really need to purchase some paper cups in lieu of plastic ones. The dogs do chew up the cups and I do not want them to swallow any plastic. There appears to be a good selection here.

Did You Know?

We have several chickens in our hen house, and those gals are still laying quite a few eggs even during the heat of the summer. When the hen lays the egg, it comes out with a wet coating that dries instantly. This coating is called the “bloom”.

The bloom is the first line of defense in keeping air and bacteria out of the porous egg shell. If an egg is washed, the natural barrier is removed, which accelerates decay of the egg.

Unfortunately, commercial egg growers wash their eggs before sending them to market. If you buy eggs at the farmers market or other places other than your local grocery store, you may want to ask if the eggs still have their bloom.

Since we do sell our eggs to friends, I recently had these cute tags made up that I place on the top of each carton. The tag explains that we do not wash our eggs here at Bella Terra, because the bloom keeps the egg fresher longer.

Prior to using the egg, if you wish, you can wash them. Though you don’t need to refrigerate unwashed eggs, we refrigerate our eggs regardless. If you have ever been to other country, you will notice that they do not refrigerate their eggs, but stack them up for sale. I’m guessing that’s because they leave the bloom on.

These cute tags are designed by Jen Gregory from Simple Modest Mom and printed by Impact Printing Services here in Phoenix.

New on the Internet

Hester & Cook have new vinyl floor mats that I am considering. My sweet friend, B.J. owns a few of these (purchased from another source) and she loves them.

Currently my small rugs by the doors by Dash and Albert are looking a bit sad, so maybe this would be a good alternative. Does anyone own a vinyl rug? Thoughts?

When it is 113 degrees, it is very difficult to think ahead to Fall. But we are starting to see more autumn posts and inspiration, as Back to School is right around the corner. Yvonne from Stone Gable just shared a lovely post full of fall decorating ideas. Her photos are stunning and you can see it here.

A few posts ago I stated my desire to have a care free summer. Well, that certainly hasn’t been the case. In addition to being absolutely swamped with absorbing an entire household from my aunt, I spend countless volunteer hours on our neighborhood association board. It’s been a bit stressful and I am praying for it all to settle down soon. My therapy is being in the kitchen and with 60 lbs. of Roma tomatoes and a sink filled with fresh basil, it’s apron time for me this weekend.

If you missed any of my posts this week, you can find them here:

Dividing Irises (and see my friends’ gardens too!) and Room by Room ( a tour of our front hall)

Have a happy one, my friends. And stay safe out there.

If you enjoy this post, please feel free to share on Pinterest. And you can follow me too @lifeatbellaterra.

Christmas is a less than one week away. Oh my. Even though I dream about having a comprehensive holiday home tour to show you, I am still noodling around with decorations (and cleaning up). Welcome to Saturday Meanderings! I am envisioning you with all your gift shopping done and lounging around in your red striped pajamas as you are reading this! And drinking a fabulous cup of coffee or tea, completely stress free on this Saturday morning!

The Main Tree

The main live tree is up…finally. It fell over twice (really) but fortunately the crash happened before the lights and ornaments were on it. Did I mention that the tree did fall over years ago and shattered our cherished, rare ornament collection? Oh well. Every year since, the children say, “remember they year the tree fell over?”

When the fresh tree is finally straight on all sides, then it gets wired to the ceiling so it will NOT fall over after ornament placement. I cannot say enough about the quality of the freshly cut trees at Whitfill Nursery. We’ve been going for years and have never been disappointed. The entire front of the house smells so good!

The Breakfast Room Mantel

The fireplace in our breakfast room (my office) typically gets a holiday painting and the mantel displays the nutcracker collection. However, this year, I am retaining the painting of the Italian village done by Janice Howell. I love the colors and the laundry hanging from the balconies. By happenstance, I placed two sets of wooden village buildings purchased at Target (for $5.00 each) on the mantel, and was instantly inspired to re-create the painting.

Adding battery operated votive candles behind the houses, and trees on either side of the mantel makes the foreground feel like it is part of the painting. Miniature holiday sweaters, hats and mittens hang on a “clothesline”. Since turning the votives on at night is a bit of a pain, I may just lay battery-operated fairy lights behind the houses instead.

The Laundry Room

The leftover mini sweaters are hung with care in the laundry room. It is fun how they mimic the mural on the wall.

The Garden

With pending frost temperatures this week, I am worried about plant damage. Typically in the winter, I will cover the garden beds with frost cloth and/or a heavy ply plastic. Adding Christmas lights (not the LED kind) will add a bit of heat under the cloth too. Amazon has 2-day shipping for frost cloth here and heavy ply plastic here.

It looks a bit like a moonscape at night with the lights glowing from underneath the covers.

It is harvest time for shishito peppers, lettuces, herbs and some of the cherry tomatoes are producing as well. If you have not had shishito peppers, they are so easy to grow.

Blistered in hot oil, then seasoned with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon, we just love these as an appetizer. I’m not sure I understand why some are green and others are red, but they taste terrific regardless. A mild pepper but occasionally you can get one with some heat.

Christmas Cards

Do you send out holiday cards?My goal is to take our family photo at Thanksgiving, create the card and have them in the mail by December 15th. It is also when I draft our family newsletter reviewing all the good, bad and ugly that has happened in the year. Since I do love receiving cards, I will continue to send them out each year. Another thing to check off the list! Card by Minted.com.

There are a few decorations to finalize but I think we are nearly done here (thankfully). Not sure why I felt so disorganized this year. I may have mentioned that I volunteer on our neighborhood board and we’ve had two zoning cases in December that unfortunately, have taken a great deal of time. I’m blaming my scattered approach to the holidays on that!

If you missed my two other posts this week, you can see my pink dining room decorations here, and the holiday front porch here.

I may take a break from blogging next week (not sure yet), but if an email doesn’t appear in your inbox on Tuesday or Wednesday, you will know why. Until then, I am sending big virtual hugs to you!

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With every dark cloud, there is a silver lining. But in times of crisis you really need to look for it. Lately, I have found that when I pay attention to the small things I have missed in the past, I am in a state of rediscovery. Before I was always running to meetings or on conference calls and as a result, overlooked so much. Come to find out, these little gifts have been there all the time.

Gifts of Nature

When is the last time you really looked inside an iris? See the beards? Isn’t the color amazing?

Now with more time at home, and needing just the basics (good health, food and family), beauty seems to be emerging in nature everywhere. Not to be cliche, but I am experiencing “stop and smell the roses” moments ALL the time. Is anyone else finding this to be true? Naturally it helps to have roses blooming right now!

Yesterday I stopped to face the sun and listen to the birds. Such a simple act but with tremendous benefits. Breathing more is a necessity lately but filling my lungs with the sweet spring air is so restorative.

I’ve never noticed how beautiful the delicate flowers are on my scented geranium plant. And those curly filaments on the stigma! Take time to notice the changes Spring brings. The earth is coming back to life after winter and doesn’t it feel like we are on that same path? Bloom wherever you are!

Necessity is the mother of invention

This is also a time to get creative! With regular all-purpose and bread flour on shortages, I am using the almond and coconut flours that have been in my freezer. Dusting off old recipes and rediscovering them all over again is inspiring. In 2018, I posted this recipe for Paleo Lemon Blueberry bread and I hadn’t made it in a long time. Plus it’s healthy! Click here to read the post.

Even milk has been challenging to find in some places. But consider the alternatives and ones you can make, nut or grain milk. I don’t think there is a pressing need for almonds and it is SO easy to make your own. Click here for my previous post and the simple recipe.

Click here for the link for oat milk.

Keep Moving

I really miss exercising at the gym. For some reason, while I’m there I push myself harder and work up a good sweat. Taking brisk afternoon walks isn’t quite the same, but there is joy in seeing so many people out walking and children biking. Right across the street from our home is the historic Murphy Bridle Path. It is the only linear public park in Arizona and such an important recreational resource for our City.

Another positive to walking is checking out all the houses in the area. Who doesn’t like house snooping?!

If I don’t exercise I’ll be auditioning for My 600-lb. life after all this is over. Tomorrow I am going to try online work outs to see if I can kick things up a notch. We have a stationery bike and a rowing machine ~ I only hope I can motivate myself to get on them and work hard. What are you doing to move?

Be proactive on managing your stress

There are times I can feel the fingers of fear creeping into my optimism. I suppose that is natural but it’s not my personality to allow it. My first line of defense is to BREATHE. There are so many meditation tools available to us, but my two favorite are Headspace and Calm. Headspace recently created a free support section called Weathering the Storm. It includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help you out, however you’re feeling. This is Headspace’s small way of helping you find some space and kindness for yourself and those around you.

Every night I listen to Sleep Stories on the Calm app. I’ve yet to hear the end of a story because I am lulled to sleep by the wonderful soothing voice of the narrator. I do pay an annual fee, but I truly use it every night. There are other meditation exercises and resources on the app as well.

There is something soothing about an afternoon cup of tea. The chamomile is just starting to bloom in the garden. This herb also helps to calm things down. I’ve also read that valerian tea, green tea and if you aren’t a tea drinker, cherry juice works too. To see the chamomile growing in the garden, click here.

Start a new project!

It feels SO good to cross things off the To Do list. There’s a sense of forward movement when you accomplish goals and finish projects. I am in the middle of washing all the windows in the house. My husband is doing a deep clean on the outside barbecue area. Touch-up painting comes next. Not only is it good to move, but at the end of all of this, your home may look its best ever. If you missed my last post, here is a project update.

Try something new

Who remembers Paint by Numbers? We did this as children (many moons ago) but have you seen some of the paintings they now offer? Not only is this a fun family project, but a chance to focus your energies in an artistic way.

You can even create your own painting from a photo or start on a holiday painting now. Check out their website to see all the possibilities.

There are other creative outlets~~all available online. Want to tour the White House or The Louvre from the comfort of your own home? Or hear a concert? All of these are now at your fingertips online by just searching the internet.

Being Strong for Others

So many people have had to make significant adjustments in their lives. Many are on the front line while we are safe at home. Some are physically compromised.

As parents, we need to be good role models and create teachable moments so our children understand how to deal with inconvenience or hardship. Be the voice that lifts, not scares. Be informative but optimistic.

When Certainty is Lost only Faith Remains

Whatever faith means to you, it is important to have it now. I find solace in watching our church’s online services on Sunday. I am surrounded by the dogs and cats and I can have my coffee too. But sometimes just turning life’s challenges over to a higher being gives us strength to move forward. Whether your “church” is nature, a friend, a pet or a religion, be connected. Reach out to someone you have not spoken to in a while. Write a letter. Watch a sunset and know you’ve made it through another day.

Please let me know how you are doing. Now more than ever, we need each other. Whatever you have planned for today, I am sending virtual hugs and wishing you happiness.

Orange “Gingersnap” roses recently purchased from Whitfill Nursery

It has been such a busy week. The Corona Virus Honey Do List is slowly getting accomplished. Seriously, I don’t do well with idle time and keeping myself busy is a good thing! First task on the list is washing the windows.

It’s a bit treacherous with some of the outdoor planting. I think I only stuck myself on this agave a half a dozen times.

I seem to have pretty good luck with this Sprayway Glass Cleaner from Costco. You can also get it at Target, Walmart and Home Depot. It is a foam cleanser which doesn’t run off the glass. I use a two cloth system. I clean with one cloth and follow up with a microfiber cloth to remove any streaks.

I’ve been at it a few days now and only have the first floor windows of the main house done. I envy people who have big glass panes without all the mullions. To give you an idea of how tedious this is, the family room has 168 individual panes of glass…..a real P.A.I.N and that is just counting cleaning one side of the glass!

These windows hand crank open and honestly, it has been years since we’ve opened them. Cooper is even enjoying the beautiful day!

However, the room is now so bright and cheerful. Also, did some spring cleaning by moving the furniture, vacuuming in all those remote corners, and washing the slipcovers and dog blankets.

As you may recall, I am not completely fond of my family room’s decor. The room is quite long and narrow and was, at one point in time, an outside porch. But the windows are wonderful and the scored concrete floor is decades old. To read a previous post about my struggles with this room, click here.

I picked up a hand-painted chest recently at a yard sale and thought it would go nicely in the family room. Here is the before picture of the area. The existing black piece of furniture has served as our liquor cabinet, as it has a lock on it. My husband has a collection of contemporary art that we have tried to integrate in our historic home.

But I think I like this cabinet better as it is a warmer look. It is lower and still serves as a liquor cabinet. What do you think?

The artwork is very special as it was done by my mother’s art teacher that she had in high school back in the 1940s. Charlotte Eastman would teach high school art during the school year and then travel to Europe to paint during her summers. My mother was one of her favorite students. I love her use of color and really feel grateful to have gotten these after my parents passed away.

I am still playing around with the accessories on top, which will take a few weeks of moving things around from other parts of the house.

Another project we are working on is really cleaning out the barbecue area. My husband is tackling that one! The backsplash gets so dirty from all the cooking. We’ve decided to tile the backsplash and I am excited about selecting tile and getting this done.

It’s not all work and no play around here. We’ve established Wine at the Wall Wednesdays, where we meet our neighbors to the south. We respect physical distancing but encourage socializing. This week, we provided the wine. Everyone brought their own glass. The goal was to say hello, check in with each other, and watch the sunset. One of our neighbors is in law enforcement and provided the latex gloves. The laughter and camaraderie was exactly what we needed.

I imagine I will be washing windows for several days, but the effort is worth it. The weather can’t be beat~~a glorious 65 degrees with a nice breeze. Perfect for drying clothes on the line and spring cleaning!

Hope this Saturday finds you healthy and happy. Beautiful gifts (or a very clean house) will come out of this time of challenge. Keep the faith!