After a long stint of time in the great up north, it feels really good to be back at home, if even for a short period before I hit the road again. I’ve come to believe that absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and I find the more that I am away from home, the more grateful I am to return to our little slice of wooded paradise and what we’ve built here in this space.
Today I thought I’d share some recent things we’ve done around our home (what the hubby and I refer to as “The Gottschalk Ranch”) to make it a more comfortable, welcoming, and happy space for us to live and work and be every day.
Gallery Walls
I’m a minimalist when it comes to hanging things on my walls. I prefer the ‘less is more’ look. BUT, I’m also a sucker for art prints and quotes, and just things in general that inspire me, so I took the leap and hammered some holes to create two gallery walls in our dining room. I’m really happy with how they turned out – not too much stuff, but enough to make it a little more ‘lived in’ and reminders of what is most important in life.
Outdoor Seating
I’ve had these fun purple adirondack chairs for a couple of years now, and since we’re about halfway through the staining of our deck process, I decided to add a little table to the equation to make for a nice seating area where we can enjoy our backyard space. I found a cheap table from the thrift store, sanded it, and added some spray paint for a bright, summery look! It’s a great place to enjoy coffee in the morning, work from in the afternoon, and hang out at after work with a book and a glass of wine.
Man-Cave 2.0
The hubby got inspired in the spring to clean out, reorganize, and completely transform the garage into both an area to store vehicles (other things too) and a place for him to work on his handyman projects. He has officially finished, with new cupboards and a work bench, and this amazing tiled floor that gives the garage a showroom look. I feel so fancy parking in a garage like this (people were shocked that the hubby even let me park in it … lol). It’s a huge improvement to the simple look we had before and gives Kenny a second ‘man-cave’ to spend his downtime in.
Wildflowers
The hubby surprised me a few months ago with bags of wildflower seed to toss all over this big patch on the south side of our property that had recently been dug up and reset by our utility company. We went out after work one night in early spring and spread that seed all over the dirt, excited and hopeful for what would grow as the days got longer and warmer. Now, not even a month into summer (officially), we’ve got wildflowers blooming everywhere back there. I LOVE IT! Kenny says he intends to put a sign out there that says “Hannah’s Garden.” He’s too sweet for words.
Sign Art
My cousin, Brooke, designs these fabulous signs and sells them on Etsy. After seeing one she had created for a cabin, I knew we absolutely had to have one for our ranch, so within a week I had one ordered! It is GORGEOUS! The dark barn wood with the lighter wording fits our covered porch space, and the wood on our house, perfectly. It makes for such a lovely welcome to our home! We adore it!
Overall, it’s been fun making some improvements to our beloved home. The simple acts of beautifying and decorating, planting and reorganizing have added a lot of creativity and happiness to our living space and have increased our love for home all that much more.