Cabin in the City

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How I’m Practicing Social Distancing (and Staying Sane)

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Like many of you, I’m hunkered down at home for the next while due to the COVID-19 outbreak. I’m honestly so relieved that I can do my job from home. It’s a major blessing and a big weight off my shoulders (I’ve got a lot of loved ones I need to protect).

But as relieved as I am, I know that facing a week or more of unstructured time in a small space isn’t as easy as it sounds. That’s why I’ve put together an outline of how I’m going to manage. You might benefit from these ideas, too.

  • Create a routine: Routines and rituals help propel us forward in uncertain times. If you don’t have a work from home routine established, outline one now. For me, I set my alarm, take a shower, change clothes and make a cup of tea before getting on the computer. I take a lunch break, IM my coworkers—all the stuff I would do in the office. It helps keep the momentum of the day going.
  • Keep things clean: It’s a good time to reevaluate your cleaning protocol at home. Wipe down your phone, computer and surfaces. And throw in some extra laundry if you’re home all day. We just washed all our linens and throws and it feels good to have a fresh start.
  • Read: When I’m stressed, I need activities that force me to slow down. Reading is my go-to. Plus, sitting down with a book and a cup of tea for a whole Sunday morning feels like a treat.
  • All the hobbies: I’m a woman of many hobbies. Now’s the time to embrace them all! All my works in progress are coming out: latch hook, sewing, cross-stitch. Now’s the time to settle in with the projects you never have enough time for.
  • Get outside: Social distancing doesn’t mean staying indoors. I’ve started to take daily walks so I can get some fresh air, move around and not feel so cooped up.
  • Keep in touch: Since staying in, I’ve found that I’m calling my family a lot more. It’s a good way to feel connected. And sending my coworkers memes and gifs all day helps too.
  • Be mindful of the news I’m consuming: During this time, it’s definitely important to stay on top of virus updates, but it’s also easy to fall down a wormhole of information fast. To keep the balance, I limit how many articles I read a day, ensure that the information comes from a trusted source and stay updated with CDC recommendations.

Everyone, stay safe, stay home and stay well!

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5 Years of Homeownership

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Exactly five years ago today I bought our home. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I jumped into a big purchase like that at 25 and that I did it solo. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. So here’s a little story about where I’ve been with this home, what’s been absolutely maddening and why I love my house so much.

Let’s Flashback First

Before I get into what I’ve learned and loved about my home, let me give you a bit of background for any new readers (though it’s mostly just my mom who reads this).

My tiny house belonged to my great-aunt Mary who lived there for 40+ years. It was the closest thing to Grandma’s House that I knew, and I always loved visiting. Even when I was young, I dreamed of living there. I was just so drawn to the cone fireplace, the rock garden, the open staircase – all of it. Not to mention, that my aunt knew how to entertain, so the house always felt warm and welcoming.

When my aunt passed away, I moved in to keep an eye on things. The first few weeks were difficult. I lived without internet or cable in a home filled with my loved one’s things. It was isolating. But I moved my cat in, got internet installed and never looked back.

After living there for seven months (and some negotiations with my family), I signed on the dotted line. 10 months later, Michael and Mukki moved in.

The Highs

Our house is one of our greatest sources of joy (besides the cats). It’s been so satisfying over the years to put our stamp on this house while still retaining some of its original funky charm. I love bringing home new-to-me-vintage pieces and seeing them look totally at home alongside our families’ own relics and our own. I love how all of Michael’s favorite artwork fits in seamlessly with the decor. These sorts of things totally reaffirm our choice to live in this home. Not to mention all these additions serve to make our home more comfortable.

And that’s huge for us. Our home is definitely our retreat. It’s a great atmosphere for us both to settle in with our creative projects (Michael has music, I’ve got too many crafts). It’s also a great space for just relaxing. At night with the string lights on and the record player going, it’s an oasis from the world, and I’m certain I couldn’t get that exact feeling anywhere else.

Of course, we love to share our home as well. It’s a great place to entertain and a wonderful place to just relax and hang with some friends. The house, while small overall, is perfect for entertaining with the large living room that’s open to the kitchen. I absolutely love hosting people, especially around the holidays. It’s all these feelings that make me feel secure and happy to own our home.

The Lows (AKA #HomeownerProbs)

Of course, owning a home is more than nights in and decorating. Since moving in, I’ve experienced my share of #homeownerprobs, the kind that were uninteresting five years ago, but now are a staple of party convos with other 30-somethings.

My homeowner problems have been many, including needing to install a new roof just a month after buying the house and totally digging up everything to repair the foundation. These improvements have been absolute and utter drags. And there are many more to come. Owning a home is nothing but signing up for a never-ending and expensive to-do list.

Despite all these repairs and inconvenient projects, I never seriously regretted jumping in with both feet with this house. To me, all these improvements are an act of love for our home, the people that lived there and ourselves.

Looking Back

Looking back at the past five years of this house, I regret nothing (nothing major anyway). It’s been a heartwarming and eyeopening experience moving into a family home and making it our home for years to come. I hope that when I’m old, I’ll have young relatives that look at our space with such fond memories.

Anyways, cheers to five years! I love you, you Cabin in the City.

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The Best Laid Plans: Home Improvement Edition

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I’ve owned my house for a little less than two years, which means that for the past two years, I’ve lived with my lackluster bedroom. Once I signed on the dotted line, I had big plans for this space. Oh man – I was going to make it look so cool and relaxing with lots of neutrals and then make it all pop with a statement wall. Or not.

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The neutrals that I thought would make this place look airy and soothing, just ended up making the place look drab. And that statement wall? Well, maybe that would have been cool if I picked the right shade of emerald or jade instead of what I like to call dinosaur green. When you stir this together with a plethora of furniture, clothes that need donating (but never make it to Goodwill) and ill-planned layout, you get sort of a wreck. So after two years, I’m saying goodbye to this half-baked plan and moving forward with a mini-bedroom makeover. Here’s what I have planned to improve the space.

High contrast

Besides the lot of neutrals being so blah, they also faded in with the woodwork – literally. I think a good remedy for this is to go high contrast. That means picking a rug that doesn’t blend into the floor and upping my paint game.

More art!

The walls in this room are embarrassingly bare. Michael and I started to layout a gallery wall, but we soon realized we needed more frames and then just stopped. This time I’m following through.

Paint

First time around, I didn’t do a great job, despite my best efforts. The old walls absorbed the paint like a sponge and after three coats, I couldn’t deal – I washed my brushes and called it good. This time I’m recruiting my dad for a little help and making sure that I do the job right.

And I haven’t forgotten the important part – color! I’m still a fan of a green, only this time a darker, more sophisticated shade, like a hunter green. A deep shade like this is probably too overwhelming for the entire space, so I’m thinking of painting the bottom half of the wall in this moodier shade and then the top in the same snowy white (only a better coat). I said I wanted contrast, and I think this could be the ticket.

A silly update

I won’t lie – I love having a TV in the bedroom. Yes, I know that pre-sleep screentime can mess with your rest and that tech-free bedrooms are supposed to be more relaxing, but I don’t care. Once in a while I like to catch up on my stories from the comfort of my own bed. And I’d like to do that with something a little more streamlined than the 90s-era box that sits on our dresser. Lucky for me, my dad is opting for a bigger screen, leaving his smaller flatscreen to me. Less bulk, more modern, same cozy Shark Tank viewing. That’s a win-win-win.

The finer points

By this I mean all the finishing touches. That means if I think matching nightstands will complete the space, I get them. Or if I think some baskets will keep the closets cleaner, I buy some baskets. Living in a perpetual state of oh it’s almost done is annoying. I committed to reworking this room, so that means seeing the process through to the end. So that means when it’s all done and dusted, every item on my to-do list is done.

Stay tuned, folks. I’m starting on this makeover NOW. I’ve already briefed my dad on the paint situation and nabbed some new art.  It’s happening!

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It’s a Marshmallow World

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I love my home as weird and outdated as it is, and I love it even more during the holidays. My aunt hosted day-after-Christmas parties every year and they were the absolute best. Since I have such fond memories of the holidays here, I knew I had to keep the (Christmas) spirit alive.

It’s not much, but here’s a peek at my marshmallow world.

Christmas Decor

Outside of the tree I don’t have a ton Christmas decor, but enough to make this place feel special. With the glow of the tree, some lights strung along living room bookshelf and some candles in the fireplace, the living room makes you feel like drinking hot chocolate and watching White Christmas every night (I’m totally doing those things right now and it’s perfect).

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Since this is the first time I’ve really decorated for the holidays on my own since college, I wanted to find decor that felt like me and also felt like it was totally natural for this home (maybe those two things are one in the same).

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I hope that you’re jamming out to that Brenda Lee song right now, but more importantly I hope your enjoying your holidays! I’ve got another crafter hours booked before Christmas and then time off from work to perfect my buche noel recipe.

P.S. If you like any of the decor, you can find most of it at these great local shops: Winkie’s in Whitefish Bay, Pear & Simple in Port Washington, and Carrie On in New Berlin.

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First Snow of the Season

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I’m watching the first snow of the season right now and it’s a total dream. It’s a Sunday afternoon, I’m inside with my cat and I may or may not be watching Family Feud (don’t judge – it’s my lazy day and I’ll do what I want).

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That’s what I’m talking about. Snow perfection.

Also it’s time to break out these babies. These are seriously my favorite shoes. They are bulky and over-the-top, but they are also the warmest things I’ve ever put on my feet. And even though they don’t go with anything, that makes it alright to wear them with everything. I mean it when I say if you’ve got to deal with Wisconsin winters, you gotta get yourselves some Sorels.

Milwaukee's First Snow

I hope all of you locals are inside staying warm and enjoying this pretty little dusting. And I won’t judge if you spend a few hours watching the Game Show Network.