What goes on during "closed to customs"?

Around here A LOT!!!


It has been a crazy insane two weeks...one I am glad that are coming to a close, I could really use another two more!

We have been renovating our home...extensively over the past several months. First the main floor and kitchen then more recently the exterior.

This was the before. Pretty fugly huh? Like three boxes all stacked on aside the next and the "high tower" down on the end, well it is high! The deck was a nightmare and with over 300kids at Halloween it gave me chills each year.

This is the same view now as it stands. The house was so high I was aiming to "bring it down to earth". The darker color and stone work on the far end all help to do that. There still has to be shakes added to the gable but hey are on back order until the end of the week.  The garage door was moved over and the new deck will also go on this week. The landscaping will have to be changed up but I am waiting for the contractors to finish it all up. What was once there is trampled and had suffered over the past couple of years as I had not kept us due to having many surgeries.

The back of the house looks much better as well. The shakes in the gable really break up things and once we get our gazebo back up I will spend lots of time on the deck gazing at the river! Yes, the deck will be re stained..the green will be replaced with the same color that the house is, I found a perfect match!

Meet Bentley! On day one of construction we brought him home as an almost 7 week old pup.  Yes, I am insane, and yes I am feeling the effects of it. I swear I have "mommy brain" again and DESPERATELY want just one second to myself.

He is a real joy however, beautiful temperament and smart as a whip! He is a golden retriever Shepherd cross and he had never seen the interior of a house when we brought him home.

Also during all of this, I have been trying (with the help of a few amazing souls) to get a new food program in place at our school. It is one that served farm fresh local foods as a priority with a protein, whole grain, 4-6 veggies and 3-4 fruits salad bar style at each lunch.

It is a major undertaking that is wholly volunteer parent driven. We have had to get permission from the school district to do it and are solely responsible for finding the funding for it as well.

I have been doing presentations and having meetings with local farmers,  business, service groups, our local and provincial politicians and anyone else that we can form a partnership with. I will be working on helping one of our amazing volunteers who is doing our grant writing and tomorrow I will, at the Mayor's request, be making a presentation to the Town Council then run across the street to the school Board to see how we fit into their budget approval.

This is the lunch we served on Thursday for our Community Engagement Luncheon.

Squeezed in was a few custom orders and some catching up after my snap press parts went missing. Let's not forget that there is also the referral contest going on. Looks like I am going to be giving away LOTS of free items in July!

As you can see, there is so much more to life than my duties as a WAHM. I am also mom, wife, an avid volunteer, puppy trainer, CEO of the house and lately, a general contractor making sure all these projects are getting done, that my vision is happening, and it is staying on time and within budget. It has certainly has been a ride the past couple of weeks, but one that will pay off in dividends.

I sincerely thank a few of you who have been rolling around on this journey with me, from crazy texts that do not make sense, to delayed orders due to the press, and a general lack or organization...THANK YOU for your patience.


~Michelle