Hidden Treasure and the $40.00 room

We are officially at a stand still at the house. Polyurethane is drying and forcing us to not step foot there for three days and so we have run out of time for improvements.

October 31st is fast approaching and now begins the packing and the moving.

Many times throughout the day I think "It just can't be done! We aren't going to be able to do all this before Oct. 31st!" Then I think about what has been done and it seems pretty amazing.

Every now and again it seems pretty clear that yes....everything IS going to be okay.

Like when we peeled back the four layers of carpeting, newspaper and linoleum in the living room and kitchen. That was an "It is going to be okay" moment.


It isn't because I need lovely floors to be happy, I don't.

But having a lovely floor underneath all that grime and dust is clearly God's abundant goodness to me and a very obvious "See, I have everything in order for you" message.

He is the greatest Overachiever, God, and loves giving us good things to drop our jaws with wonder.


We rented a sander for $25.00, a few sheets of sand paper and bought a gallon of paint for $14.00 and changed the whole look of the room for a mere $40.00. We already had the polyurethane.

I have often wondered if I would ever be able to make Hopestead feel like I belonged there; like I wasn't just living in Grams house, but my own. It helped when all of Grams things were finally taken out, but even then I worried. Would it ever be MINE?

When I see the living room, I know it is possible.

It isn't done yet. The trim needs to be painted, the drop ceiling taken down, etc. But here it is presently, after $40.00 and a day or two of work:


...and here is what it looked like before:

Feels so much more like home now.