I’ve been where you are now. I’m ready to sell this home, this place is too small, I know my family needs something different, and [insert all other reasons to move]. It’s an exciting time! It can also be stressful. As homeowners looking to move on, we must balance our budget, timeline, and all the […]

  Camp Miller Kitchen Renovation Series Part 2 I write this next installment as I sit in my finished, renovated kitchen. I have a hot latte in front of me because we have the appliances to make this possible. I had scrambled eggs earlier from the stovetop. These small moments feel like major accomplishments.  If […]

You know that giant pile of money you’ve been sitting on that’s collecting dust, waiting to be put to use in your brand new kitchen? Yeah, me neither. The far more common scenario is this: 1) you have a vision for your kitchen remodel, and 2) you have limited time and money. That’s the situation […]

Camp Miller Kitchen Renovation Series Part 1 There’s an old adage (I’m not sure where I heard it, or if it’s old, or if it’s an actual adage), that goes something like this: ‘Whatever your renovation timeline is, double it.’ The DIY kitchen remodel at Camp Miller is no exception. When Matt and I bought […]

If you’ve been following our crazy adventure, you already know that this past year just about killed us. I mean it. There have been so many times when we questioned if buying Camp Miller, our vacation rental cabin, was worth it. But now I’m sitting in the kitchen of our renovated cabin, writing this post, […]

The DIY Hallway Wainscoting Project DIY design projects can be tricky. I constantly find myself designing around these questions: Can I do this project on my own? Will I have to learn a new skill? How much money do I have? How much time do I have? The answer to these four questions shapes my […]

3 Steps to Buying a Home in a Hot Market The million-dollar question these days is: how in the heck do you buy a house in a hot seller’s market? Admittedly, the obstacles appear daunting. In many places, and particularly here in the Fox Valley, we sit stoutly in a seller’s market. Prices are rising, […]

A Clear Prayer: How Having a Vision Led Us to Camp Miller   At the recommendation of a friend, I’m reading a book called “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. It’s about the power of circling things in prayer- be it your family members, the vision of a $1,000,000 check, or a prime piece of […]

We Bought a Vacation Rental It took my husband and I all of 24 hours to purchase our lakefront vacation rental. Twenty-four hours between seeing the listing online, driving north to see it, and putting in an offer. Of course, those 24 hours don’t include the years we’ve spent dreaming and building our real estate […]

Looking to Buy a House in a Hot Market? Competition in this area is fierce! Especially for starter & young family homes. If you want to buy a house, it’s time to find a Realtor. Here’s why. 1) You’ll get an accurate pool of listings. Sites like Zillow and Realtor.com can muddy the waters for […]