Before and Afters

Kitchen

Dining Room






















Foyer






















Living Room























Bedroom 1

























Bedroom 2






















Bedroom 3























Bathroom

Makin' Progress

The house is coming along, being salvaged from years of neglect and bad interior design, one coat of paint at a time. I could not have done this without the help of my oh-so-faithful friends. You guys are simply incredible.

A Silly, Serious Poem

I’m tired of being a yo-yo.
Will I ever come down to rest?
My life is filled with motion, yes, I even crave it.
Can’t I be like a knick-knack that sits on a bookshelf?
Maybe a joyful little figurine, complete with peaceful face and relaxed pose?
But no, up and down I go, a ball of twisting, spinning string
Switching directions with the twist of an unseen wrist
Emotions gliding every which way
Yet if the turmoil ever stops and the tension is released
The whole thing comes undone.

I feel like a yo-yo.
One minute I am revolving beautifully, smoothly
Living the life I want to, feeling fulfilled, gratified, loved.
The next minute, I am a tangled mess of passions
Despair, loneliness, confusion, doubt, regret.
There is no predictable moment when these will arise,
No law of physics to tell when the string will get jumbled,
When my life knots upon itself and the fun ends.

So here I go, twisting and turning, up and down,
Never knowing when
Or if
This will stop.

What Not To Paint- A Call for Help

Scheduled Workdays: Wednesday July 23rd and 24th, starting at 10am both days

Help me update my newly purchased house! I recently bought an older house with lots of character, but it also came with some very, um, interesting design and neglected upkeep that have to be addressed. There is a ton of work that needs to be done, and I would appreciate any and all help.

I will keep good tunes, tasty food, cold lemonade, and fun company flowing. We'll start by 10am on Wednesday and go until 7pm when community meal happens that a lot of us go to. On Thursday, we'll start at 10am again and go until we run out of things to do or I don't have any friends left. :-) Come and go as you please.

All predictable supplies will be provided, but bring any unique tools you have that we may need. The agenda will include stripping wallpaper, painting, trim work, ripping up carpet, yard work, washing siding, and whatever else we uncover!

An Important Day

Recently I learned that when one of my good friends is talking to other people and refers to me, he calls me "Sarah Dill-his grown-up friend." I'm not quite sure why he labels me that way, but today, I think I did take a step forward towards adulthood. Today I became a homeowner for the first time.

After a good bit of deliberation and fickleness, I decided to buy this cute, 1930s home here in Rochester. It is 3 blocks from work, which solves the never-ending saga of parking at Mayo for me. It is small enough to be cozy, but big enough for several people to live there and lots of room to host others. I can't tell you how excited I am to have a place to welcome others. It's got a big back yard with an old shade tree. There are lots of built-ins and character accents which just add to the charm. The upstairs is a loft bedroom with a built-in office with desk and bookshelves. And today when I investigated under the carpet that covers the two bedrooms downstairs, the living room, and the hall, I discovered beautiful hardwood floors in really good shape.

This house is no Southern Living Home of the Year quite yet--it is going to take a lot of work. So, I'm putting on my Martha Stewart hat and learning the ins-and-outs of home improvement. Here's a sneak preview of some of the ugly wallpaper that just had to come down--

The whole house is going to be repainted to get rid of the disturbing pastel pinks and purples, the floors redone, and various other updates and improvements are battling it out in my head for who goes first. So this is a shameless call for help, advice, manpower, tools, etc. I promise a steady stream of music, lemonade, and good company if you should choose to help out with the cause.

Other than the hardwood floors, I also had another surprise. Apparently the guy who owned it before me forgot to tell his renters that he was selling the house right now. They didn't know till yesterday. So....I have renters for a week or two while they scramble for another place to live.
It's always an adventure.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings....

I'm at work right now, basically watching a kid sleep. It is 4 o'clock in the morning. And I feel like being contemplatively optimistic. So here goes a list of a few of my favorite things...

Rochester's farmer's market, fruit, chocolate, a combo of the last two items, infants, giggling, stretching, going barefoot, t-shirts, being called princess, cute old men, homemade ice cream, being on a farm, creating something artsy, dangley earrings, pearls.

Having friends call me for advice, reading insightful stories, black and white photos, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, road trips, my job, singing, being commended, finding the best hole-in-a-wall in a small town, making a definitive decision, being genuinely happy for someone instead of being jealous, going for a run and being surprised when the time goes fast, consignment stores, potlucks, Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzards from Dairy Queen.

Being capable, having a child decide they want to be my friend, visiting former patients who graduated from intensive care, being comforting and collected in crisis situations, taking communion, earthy things, stone walls, lotion, sleeping in sunlight, simple solutions that change people's lives.

Serious conversations, real mail, finding the perfect word, autumn, linen clothing, crossing state lines, knowing I don't have to worry, organizing, fixing problems, folk music, a good cup of coffee, hugs, journals, being productive, window seats, brainstorming ideas annoyingly when people tell me they have nothing to do, exciting moments at work, and quiet moments at work.

And that's just a few. Works every time.