travel

For all the fans of HGTV Fixer Upper, this post is for you! Last week I traveled to Waco, Texas for a social media seminar. The week was packed with presentations and I was blessed to meet some wonderful women, who are very successful influencers.

Green Door Lofts

Staying at the Green Door Lofts is a special experience. I really wish I had taken more pictures of our accommodations. Our room is very spacious with a full kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. The best part is that I was able to share this space with my two dear friends, Andrea from Design Morsels and Chas from Chas’ Crazy Creations.

Very bohemian in decor, the Green Door Lofts is the ideal place to stay if you are traveling with family or a small group

In addition to the seminar, some of the fun excursions during the week included touring 3 local vacation rental homes. Not only did we meet the owners/proprietors but also learned about the history, restorations and decor strategies of each.

The Morrow House

The first stop is the Morrow House. The 1886 Eastlake gem was weeks away from being demolished and was saved and restored (thankfully!). It has been featured in Cottage Style and Modern Farmhouse magazine. The owner, Kimberly, graciously provided hors d’nerves and cocktails during our tour.

This 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home (sleeps 8) is beautifully appointed and much of the original details and architecture still exist.

For more information about The Morrow House, click here.

South Haven by HavenCraft

The second tour is a series of 3 homes owned by the same individual. Robin and her husband are investing in remodeling homes in Waco and turning them into vacation rentals. Robin and her sister, Bree, collaborate on design and decor. Each rental has its own “theme”. The first one, South Haven, is a sweet blue cottage with a Southern decor vibe.

This 4 bedroom, 3 bath sleeps 10. For more information on the South Haven house, click here.

Haven House

Next, we visited Haven House, also in Waco. Sorry for the different size images~some are mine and some are stock photos from their website.

Beautifully appointed full kitchen.

Lots of wainscoting!

For more information about this 3 bedroom, 3 bath home, click here.

The third property that Robin and Bree are renovating is not finished yet. However, it is a Sherwood Forest theme! These gals are very creative and you can tell that giving guests a special experience is very important to them.

Giveaway!

At the end of our tour, Robin presented all of us with a $100 Voucher off of any of their properties! So if you are planning on going to Waco in the future, and you are interested in the HavenCraft properties (Haven House, South Haven or the soon to be Glen Haven), please let me know. I would love to give this voucher away to someone who will use it! I only have one coupon and it’s good until August 2022.

Just leave a comment after this post and say you want the coupon. If I get more than one request, I will put names in a hat and someone will be the lucky winner!

Market at the Silos

On another day, we went to Magnolia Market at the Silos because you cannot go to Waco, Texas and not see what Chip and Joanna Gaines have contributed to the community. Many of the outdoor spaces are closed due to the virus and fortunately, there was no line to get in.

The store is beautifully merchandised and the selection of faux flowers is quite spectacular. I don’t think we have as many artificial flower suppliers as they do in Waco. You are given a Magnolia bag when you arrive, but we left with them unfilled.

With no crowds, it is easy to get through the store quickly. If you like the farmhouse style (shiplap, chippy paint, beaded chandeliers, signs with heartfelt messages), there are lots of choices here. It is not my jam so the few things that were of interest, I can order online.

Magnolia Bake Shop

The Magnolia Bake Shop had a small line but I am more interested in the lovely window boxes they had on the building, which were filled with succulents.

The weather this time of year in Waco is hot and HUMID. Something this Arizona resident is not used to! It is hard to determine whether you can fill a weekend here, because now many things were closed and tours cancelled.

I am happy I saw the town and met a few business owners who are trying to make a go of it in difficult times. Like most things, the Silos feel bigger on television and I was a bit underwhelmed. It appears that Chip and Joanna are still building new destinations in Waco, which some people like, and others not.

It is truly nice to be back home and sleeping in my own bed! If you missed yesterday’s post about airline travel in these trying times, click here. Have a happy Tuesday and thanks for checking in today.

Several vendors donated supplies and gifts to all participants in the conference. I would like to personally thank all of them for their generosity. If you are ever in Waco, please support these businesses. Many are online. It’s a tough time for so many people. Lending a helping hand may make a difference.

Food and packaged mixes by Sherri at Mad Dash Mixes

Signature Root Beer Float by Heritage Creamery

Popcorn: Waco Blend by Off the Cob

Cookies by Milk Bottle Cookies (which were to die for!)

Coffee by Thirst Coffee

First of all, thank you SO much for all the well wishes and prayers for a quick recovery to my eye injuries. Yes, I am feeling much better and my vision is almost back to normal. Prayers answered.

Our sweet little cabin in Pinetop, Arizona was in dire need of a master bedroom re-do. The original cabin has lots of knotty pine and charm. We use this small cabin as a vacation rental from Memorial Day to October.

The Bedroom Before

Prior to purchasing it over 25 years ago, someone had built a rather odd master bedroom addition. With popcorn ceilings, faux beams, inadequate lighting and too much drywall, the old master bedroom looked like this.

We didn’t help the look by using Scott’s bachelor furniture and leftover pieces. Though a rather large room with 3 big windows, I never gave much thought to the furniture placement. Though unattractive, it was functional.

The Work Begins

The first weekend, Tony (the BEST electrician/contractor) took down the faux beams, scrape off the popcorn ceiling, added lighting and ripped up the carpet.

The natural wood wainscoting chopped up the room so we painted it the same color as the walls- Sherwin Williams Cottage White. Since the room is so big and now so white, I chose a vinyl flooring that looks like wood planks to anchor the space.

The After

Here is the finished product. It took a few weekends and many hands, but it is nearly complete for our first guests in May.

I was able to retain a few pieces of furniture~~the Drexel blue checked chairs, the antique trunk and the blue leather sofa (not my favorite but my husband put his foot down on getting rid of it!)

The side table and red desk are new purchases. Resources are listed below. The pulls on this bedside table were a brushed silver (which was a strange choice) so I spray painted them anodized bronze paint from Rustoleum.

I love how the flooring turned out. It looks like real wood and will be warmer during the winter months.

I was going to have the curtains made but it would have been cost prohibitive. These red/cream checked drapes are from The Vermont Country Store. I was so disappointed when Country Curtains closed their store. However, they now sell their products through The Vermont Country Store.

The round primitive table, desk chair and elk lamp were recently purchased from a local vintage store.

The 8′ x 10′ rug came from Home Depot. The metal etagere was purchased from Ballard Designs long ago as a staging piece in one of my previous remodels. Here is a similar one from Walmart. I took these pictures before I pushed the can lights up to the ceiling!

After spending several weeks researching metal beds, I didn’t want one that was cheap and wobbly. Reading review after review, I am so pleased with this selection from Wayfair. The quilt and shams were a 70% off purchase from Ballard Designs.

There are a few things left to do but all in all, I am very pleased with the change. Though the master bedroom will never look like the rest of the cabin, this room has a pleasant, mountain feel.

Before and After:

Resources

Rug Persia Almond Buff 8′ x 10′ ~~ Home Depot. $225.00

Cavaillon Panel Metal Bed- queen (see similar here) from Wayfair ~~$275.00 (keep on eye on their sales)

Red Writing Desk~~Birch Lane $174.99. Similar Overstock here.

Chelmsford Antique Taupe Nightstand from Hayneedle ~~ $244.25. Similar on Amazon but much more $$ here.

Vinyl Flooring from Home Depot ~~$1,108.70

Red Checked Curtains from the Vermont Country Store~ $59.95 for 2 panels. I doubled up on the windows so total cost was $359.70

Curtain Rods: Lowes

Annabel Patchwork Quilt/Shams from Ballard Design-discontinued but I know it was significantly discounted. Similar here from Walmart.

Art by the Bed: Local Goodwill $4.00

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Last week, I spent 3 days deep cleaning our little vacation rental cabin in the mountains. In January, my property manager/cleaning couple quit.  For years, I had so heavily relied on them to manage the cabin’s maintenance issues as the geographical distance (a 3 1/2 hour drive) precluded me from doing it myself. And now they were gone.  Sigh.

Our cabin was purchased by my husband long before he and I met. He co-owned it with a life-long friend and several years ago, we bought out his interest (as he invested in a bigger cabin for his family).  We have had it as a vacation rental from Memorial Day to November for the last few years.

When the children were little, we used the cabin more frequently.  At that time there was no television, no internet, just board games and forest explorations.  It was quintessential family time which lasted until the children got older. Enter sports, other interests, friends, etc. and we seemed to use this cabin less and less.

We have kicked around the idea of selling it, but since the recession second homes sales have stagnated over the last few years.  So instead of it just sitting there, it is now a sweet vacation rental.

So back to my current dilemma~~getting the cabin ready for our summer visitors without the help of my dynamic duo.

So with slumped shoulders and a downtrodden spirit, I made the long, albeit beautiful drive up to the White Mountains of Arizona. Who among us looks forward to deep cleaning?  Not I! But, I am not one to wallow in self pity for long so I carved out 3 days to tackle the opening and cleaning of the cabin.

It was FREEZING in the mountains….well, freezing for me.  A low of 39 degrees and a high of 60 with strong winds the entire time.  The cabin doesn’t have central heat, but it does have a few wall heaters and numerous space heaters.  But after being closed up for 5 months, it would take some doing to get the inside warm.  On the plus side, I did get to wear scarves and jackets again~~such a treat with the hot Phoenix summer just around the corner.

The deep cleaning included taking down all the curtains~~washing, drying and ironing….Scrubbing the oven (doesn’t self clean) and the outdoor gas grill~~gross and greasy; pulling out the refrigerator and washing the floor~~disinfecting all bathrooms, wiping out all cabinets, drawers and reorganizing the kitchen.  Cleaning out all closets, ironing duvet covers, window washing, carpet and upholstery cleaning (by a professional thank goodness) and general polishing.  And finally we replaced the old water heater.

By the end of the 3 days, I was physically exhausted but spiritually elated.  Losing my management couple almost felt like a blessing in disguise.  Touching every square inch of this cabin reminded me why we have kept this property in our family for all these years.  The cabin and I reconnected.

The cabin is on .8 of an acre of Ponderosa pine forest.  The view from the kitchen overlooks the large back deck and into the woods.  It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and sleeps 8 and is charming and cozy.

The master bedroom is the largest with a queen bed and a set of bunk beds and two seating areas.

The upstairs bedroom, which we refer to as the “loft”, has two twin beds and a “secret” room filled with stuffed animals, toys and Legos.

Two years ago we broke down and put in cable and internet, as our vacation guests wanted to remain technologically connected. But the best part of this cabin is its location. Being part of the White Mountain Summer Homes, it is gated and safe, yet private.  There is great biking, hiking, fishing and golfing….and of course, forest exploration.  It is not uncommon to see wild horses, elk, deer and bear in this area.

So in spite of my original internal whining, the cleaning trip to the mountains was a personal success.  Now our cabin is sparkling clean and ready to create vacation memories for our guests. And I’ve fallen in love with it all over again.

Maybe it’s time to sell it if the right offer or family came by.  But in the meantime, we will continue to cherish it and all its memories. If you would like more information on this cabin, please visit this link at vrbo

Have a wonderful Saturday!

 

 

 

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