Dream, dream, dream, dream .....

So today I stopped at Lowe's to pick up a sink strainer and a washer for my kitchen sink faucet. My lovely Craiglist find has a leaky faucet and is missing a strainer.

So what was a simple and straightforward trip to the home improvement store turned into a lovely lesson on the power of dreams.

It is a cold, rainy and dreary day here in Ohio's capital city, so I guess I was looking for some inspiration at Lowe's when I stopped by the paint desk to look at mis-tinted paint. These are containers of paints that were custom tinted and for whatever reason, the customer was not satisfied with the color and did not purchase them. These paints are sold at a huge discount. I once got a gallon of satin Valspar paint for free.

Anyway, I have been dreaming of certain colors for the downstairs of the Big House that are from the Sherwin-Williams paint gallery called Pizzaz. You can take a quiz on their website and they will suggest a color pallette that suits your personality. S-W knows its marketing - I love this pallette.
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/hgtv-home-by-sherwin-williams/color-palettes/color-pizzazz/

I knew the name of the colors I loved for the downstairs, and Lowe's has these little tester containers of paint that they can tint for you.

So I asked them to tint 3 of them in these colors: June Day (foyer), Mythical (front parlor) and Exuberant Pink (middle parlor). I want to paint the dining room Tango and my kitchen Frolic, but these rooms have no drywall or plaster - they are just down to the studs, so I will wait to test those colors later.

So I got home, and although I was really hungry, I skipped lunch and painted these colors on the walls of their designated rooms. And I was pleased.

A warm and inviting foyer needs a sunny color, like June Day. I like it a lot! I think I will use this color in the foyer and carry the same color up the front staircase and into the upstairs hallway.

Then I thought the Front Parlor will be a room for reading and reflection - and needs to be a soothing color. Like a soft purple. Thus, I chose Mythical for this room.

These are the same spot, but just two different views of the same thing - to give you an idea of all the curves and angles and details of the Big House.

Finally, for the Middle Parlor, I envision this room to be where people congregate - where the stereo and TV will be. I wanted a fun and lively color - like Mythical Pink.

Kiki looks pretty good against the pink - don't you think?

I so want to start painting - like now!! But alas, I need to sell some more houses so I can finish the mechanicals, insulate and drywall.

But it was pretty fun dreaming on this cold and rainy day.

Let me know what you think!!!

I also need to start selecting exterior colors. That seems so much harder for me.

A lot has happened since my last entry. My divorce was finalized in September 2012 and what a relief that has been.

In the time since then, I have visited places I've never been (Outer Banks and Cape Cod) went to Chicago and New Orleans (two of my favorite places), moved my real estate license to a different brokerage, joined a scooter club and I have made so many new friends, plus reconnected with some older friends.

And I am working on my house. Slow progress, sometimes painfully slow, but I am happy to report that the kitchen sink I found on Craigslist last week has been hooked up and is working!

What once was a square room down to the studs is now becoming a make-shift kitchen and is finally taking shape.

Plus, by the end of April I should have 3 more homes sold - and that means I can finish up the mechanical work in my house and possibly finish all the insulation.

And, I am now feeling the happiest and most fulfilled than I have in the last 5 years. Really, it's been more than 5 years.

What was an awful experience (the divorce) has blossomed into a wonderful adventure. It is full of fun, discovery, accomplishments, twists, turns and friendship.

So I am smiling again! The sun is shining and the weekend should be warm.

Stay tuned for more updates - I am so excited about this house renovation. More than I have ever been.

Peace,
Christina

When the going gets tough ....

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

We've heard that saying all of our lives. But it is important to remind ourselves of what it means to each of us.

Today, I feel tired and a little bit discouraged. Part of that is because I have been traveling for work the past couple of days and I have come home to a house that needs cleaned, and a big To Do List to accomplish this weekend.

Another reason I feel this way, perhaps, is that I have certain goals I want to accomplish. They are quiet goals, personal ones, I am keeping to myself. But right now, the ball to accomplishing those goals are now with other people. And I am waiting. I don't like to wait.

But to harken back to another tried and true saying:

"Good things come to those who wait."

So I wait, and clean my house, and drink more coffee and look for the sun to come back.

And create my own future, one day at a time.

Random Thoughts - Art, City, Architecture

Last Thursday I went to the quarterly Pecha Kucha event here in Columbus. PK is an awesome event where anybody can do a presentation using PowerPoint, but the catch is you are limited to 20 slides and you talk for 20 seconds on each slide. Then you are done. www.pecha-kucha.org/night/columbus

Anyway, it was held at the Columbus Museum of Art - a beautiful place - truely one of the gems of Columbus. www.columbusmuseum.org
If you haven't been there before, or if it's been a while since your last visit, I suggest you take an afternoon and browse their galleries.

I got home from work on Thursday, fed my pack of dogs and let them run through the back yard and then I set off to the Art Museum on foot. It's only 4 city blocks from my house. Reason #29 why I love living Downtown. I can walk to the beautiful art museum.

I arrived at the museum, ran into a few friends, and caught the first presentation given by my friend Brad Feinknopf. www.feinknopf.com
He is an architectural photographer - so I know him through my job at the State Architect's Office, and he was one of my commercial tenants when I worked at the Wood Companies. He is a super nice guy and a kick ass photographer.

Brad's presentation combined two subjects that I just love - buildings and twilight. Twilight as in that magical time of the day about 10 - 15 minutes after sunset, when the sky takes on an indescribable shade of translucent blue - not those vampire movies. Wow! Does that guy capture the spirit of buildings at a beautiful fleeting time of transition and makes the structure as well as the sky work together to create a remarkable scene. He even took a cookie cutter Barnes and Noble building, washed the exterior in flood lights and brought out all of the archiectural details of the building. The detailing at the top of the facade shined in the flood lights against the rapidly darkening sky. The next time you are at B&N, take a look at the exterior. Look at the top and pick out all the details. Nice.

So Brad's 20/20 presentation came to an end and the next person took the stage. I didn't find his subject very interesting and I was starting to get really hot in the crowd, so I considered going home.

They I thought, hey! I'm in the beautiful art museum. So I wondered through the galleries. I visited my favorite paintings - works by George Bellows, Robert Henri and John Sloan, and other artists from the Ashcan School of painting. Their works consisted of scenes of urban life mostly in New York City's poorest neighborhoods, which were not very popular at the time during the early twentieth century. Even while I was in college, studying art history, I always was drawn to the artists who depicted scenes of real life - from Rembrandt to Henri Cartier Bresson. Maybe that is why I love living in an urban setting?

Then I found the Sirak collection - a beautiful group of impressionist and post impressionist works donated by Dr. and Mrs. Sirak. Can you imagine having real works by Claude Monet, Paul Klee and Egdar Degas throughout your house? The collection is called Monet to Matisse: Celebrating 20 years of the Sirak Collection and is on display until May 13, 2012.

Feeling very fortunate to have spent time with my favorite paintings, and fighting off a head cold, I felt it was time to head home, although the Pecha Kucha event was still in full swing.

So I walked home, past the lovely highrise buildings of my fine city, in the twilight. I looked up at these modern monuments built to house two different insurance agencies, The Motorist Building and State Auto Building. Then I looked up at the trees, naked in their winter season, as their bare branches crossed the rapidly darkening sky. I felt all alone, but yet part of a large city filled with people, just like those Ashcan School paintings.

And I walked home, in the noisy quietness of my Downtown neighborhood, past the freeway, and into the shadow of the steeple of the big beautiful stone-clad Broad Street Presbyterian Church, my next door neighbor. It, too, was washed in artificial light, exaggerating the shadows of the rough stone on its exterior walls. It is a beautiful church, day and night.

All in all, it was a good day. I am fortunate and happy to have such beautiful things and events in my life.

Lean On Me

"Lean on me, when you're not strong, I'll be your friend. I'll help you carry on."

Remember that Bill Withers tune? It's always been one of my favorite songs. Such a wonderful, powerful message he conveys.

You know what? It's even more meaningful when you are going through a rough time, and your friends all band together to help you out.

I typically am the one helping out - I like to help people. I help my family, I like to help my friends, I like to volunteer and help those less fortunate than me.

Because of my separation, I have taken a huge cut in income. I have cut back on a lot of things, and have started painting houses for my friends.

And word has gotten out, and I have a lot of painting work lined up. Yeah! Thank you friends.

A friend last week filled my car tank up with gas just for giving her a ride home from work. Thank you Friend!

Friends give me things I need - like food, dog food, cat food. I don't mind cutting back on expenses, but I can't do that for my pets. Thank you Cousin!

And thank you to all of those who believe in me, and tell me so. Your kind words of encouragement have brightened my days, helped me see through the dark clouds that cloud my thoughts and remind me that this trying time is only temporary.

And thank you for reassuring me that I am doing the right thing, that I need to build a bridge from my old life into my new one, and cross the bridge and leave all of the hurt behind me. Even blow that bridge up once I am over it. Thank you Friend for that bit of advice.

Soon, I will be caught up, back on my feet, going out, and have my skip in my step restored once again.

All work and no play does make Christina a somewhat dull gal. But I know that it is only temporary, plus I do love the work I am doing, and I am becoming one heck of a house painter.

So, thank you to all my friends and family who are so supportive. You know who you are ... and I love you all.

What I am Thinking About the Most

Sitting here, drinking my coffee on this second day of 2012, there is one thought that keeps swirling around my head. It is aways there, and makes me really excited about this year.

The thought is: My Big House.

I have this house that is under renovation. And I love this Big House. I also have a Carriage House, and I currently live in the apartment on the second floor of the Carriage House. It, in the day of horses and carriages, used to be the hay mow for the stable that was on the ground floor.

But I long to live in the Big House. I think it longs for somebody to live in it too.

In November 2011, I hosted a neighborhood party in the Big House - even in it's unfinished slpendor. It has no functioning bathroom, and the only sink that works is a utility sink in my rather creepy basement (think 1865 era house basement. Yes - that is creepy).

At any rate, I was the third stop on a progressive dinner tour, so I provided coffee and desserts to about 35 guests. I spiffed up the house as much as possible, set up chairs and makeshift tables on the first floor, blocked off the steps so that guests did not go upstairs, set up a fire pit and chairs in the backyard, invited some friends before hand to help set up the desserts in a nice presentation.

Then the guests came.

My house did something neat. It took on the aroma of those desserts and coffee. That sweet smell of desserts filled the entire house as the voices and laughter of my guests filled the house too. Even in its unfinished state, people raved about what a great house it was, and how it had so much potential and how lucky I was to have such a great house.

Me, lucky, to have this house.

I am lucky to have such a nice house. I think the Big House enjoyed having a party in it too, after so many years of being empty. I think houses get lonely, because they are built to house people, and fun occasions, and create beautiful memories.

A couple weeks went by and it still had the aroma of sweets and coffee in it.

This year will be the year that I finish the house, move into it permanently and create fun times and memories for the house, for my family and friends and for me.

As my good friend always tells me:

"Onward and upward, Christina."

He is right.

Let's do this.

2012 is My Year

Hi Friends -

A lot has happened in my life since my last post - hence the nearly year long absence.

I want to transform myself in 2012 to be an independent, thinner, financially fit, healthier woman capable of taking on the world.

Yes, these goals have always been my goals, but I realize I was constantly putting my goals and needs on the back burner for other people.

In 2012, I will document several topics - I will list them here, but I know that more topics will come up as I write more.

• DIY Weight Loss and Exercise
• DIY Home Improvement
• DIY Budget Management and Cutting Costs

These are the first ones that come to mind.

In 2011, some very dramatic events occured for me. The most devestating one was that I noticed my husband of 6 years (we had been together for 10 years) became less and less interested in me and the house we were renovating. I'll spare you the details, but the short story is that he was cheating on me. Boy, have I learned a lot about the signs of a cheating spouse! Maybe that will be a topic I should cover in this blog. I need to let some time pass before I tackle that one as right now my feelings are still a bit raw and I may not be very objective in my thoughts.

At any rate, we separated in early November 2011, and his income left the house with him. So I am now facing how to pay for the household we once shared on my income alone. I am keeping the house, because restoring an old house has always been my dream - long before I met the husband. And it is in my name. I cannot sell it for what I owe, anyway, so if I did a short sale I would just be destroying my credit even more.
Plus, it is a fabulous house and will be even more fabulous once I finish it.

I am launching some new projects in 2012 that will help me reach my fianancial goals. I am also going to document my weight loss goals - this has been a challenge for me my entire life. I will post the results on this blog weekly.

I hope you stay tuned to this blog - and possibly others that I create - to see how I make 2012 my year of transformation. Hopefully you can take away from the blog some tips and inspiration for your own life.

My quote of the day:

"Be happy. It's one way of being wise."

~ Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

Cheers to you and Merry Christmas