These may be the ugliest photos I’ve ever shared on the blog, and yet they are some of the most meaningful to me. Let me explain.
Every so often a blogger gets pulled away from the usual projects and posts. You know the type: the triumphant before-and-after of a spray-painted vase, monthly rundowns of what’s on your baker’s rack, or the beloved furniture makeovers and garage sale finds. House bloggers tend to transform things around the home, and I enjoy that too.
At my house, though, projects often stop short. I start them, and then life intervenes and those fun makeovers get set aside for a while. For example, I have drums in my living room—a sign of how life’s priorities can change your plans.
If you’re new here, a little background: while I present as a house blogger online, in real life I’m also the wife of a pastor. Two years ago we made a major move to Washington to begin planting a church called Voyage. We started from scratch: my husband, our son and I moved to a place where we didn’t know anyone and began searching for people to join us.
We left our dream house, our friends and family. Our son changed schools. Our house in Portland took nine months to sell. My daughters adjusted colleges and moved closer to help. They’ve given up virtually every weekend for the past year and a half—an hour-long ferry ride each way—to help in every way they could: setting up and tearing down the church space every week, working with kids and music, organizing, helping with the blog and running errands. My oldest just graduated from college, and I couldn’t be prouder of how sacrificial and committed they’ve been.
The past two years have been emotional, physically exhausting, financially tight and also exhilarating for our family—in very good ways. We live on the edge of what would feel overwhelming to most people. I suppose you have to be a little bit crazy to start a church while running a blog full time.
I share this not to boast or dramatize, but to offer a glimpse behind the scenes—why I sometimes feel scattered. We bloggers are real people with complicated, busy lives.
I wouldn’t change this life. It’s an honor to serve in ways that feel larger than my own small world. I love contributing and making a difference, and this season has been incredibly meaningful. If I focused only on my house, I could obsess over every detail; instead, this journey stretches me to give time to things beyond myself. Both caring for a home and reaching out to others matter.
Four more bathrooms to update! At this rate, I’ll be redoing bathrooms well into my later years.
Sometimes my creative worlds collide, and that is always a delight. When serving others aligns with things I enjoy, it’s a treat. After a year and a half meeting in a school, our young church is moving into its own leased building—our new “home.” That opens so many doors for community outreach and is why we’ve launched this new adventure.
So, in addition to figuring out how to finish my bathroom at home, my new challenge is how to fix up a 7,500-square-foot building on a shoestring budget. Oh dear.
The nursery. Before.
This week’s pressing question: how will I makeover a 300-square-foot nursery with almost no funds?
We want the nursery to provide safe, affordable child care for the many military families in our area who serve our country—so parents can enjoy a date night or moms can have a morning out. I want this space to be welcoming for military families and the young moms in our congregation, many of whom parent alone while their spouses serve long deployments.
I’m currently seeking a donation of flooring to replace the stained, worn carpet with something fresh, clean and easy to maintain. If anyone connected to a flooring company would like to support this effort, we would be deeply grateful.
So far our volunteers have painted the nursery in a modern neutral tone and plan to add bright pops of color, playful patterns and cheerful artwork to create a fresh, youthful environment—more modern nursery than traditional church nursery.
Our vision for the building leans toward a vintage-modern coffee shop vibe. Thankfully I have an interior design student as one daughter, another daughter who recently graduated and many generous volunteers, including a spirited 10-year-old son. Together we’re pooling creativity and labor to make this space feel inviting on a very tight budget.
We hope this becomes a place where young people feel comfortable hanging out on a Friday night—and perhaps will stick around for a message too. These kinds of projects are wonderful distractions: my own bathroom may remain unfinished and my sleep limited, but it’s for a cause that matters.
Chances are you have good but exhausting distractions in your life too. What pulls at your time and energy and keeps you balancing multiple priorities? I’d love to hear what’s happening in your world.
P.S. Tomorrow I’m starting a mini-series about an in-progress home office makeover. I’m excited to share it!
UPDATE: Here is an update on our progress!