Happy New Year! Here’s to hoping that 2021 will be much better than 2020. I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but ringing in the New Year has me thinking about all the things that we accomplished here last year and all of the plans for Cumberland Trail in the coming year. Today in Cumberland Trail part 1, I’m sharing what we’ve done in the past year and in Part 2 I’ll be sharing our plans for the next year.

Here’s what we got done this past year.

We moved into our new home in late October of 2019.

We bought this house knowing that we were going to be doing a lot of projects.

They would include small facelifts and some big remodeling in almost every room of the house.

In other words, we were on a mission to make it more our own.

Moving in late October didn’t give us much time before the holiday season.

However we did get a few projects completed before then.

Like the Fireplace.

This is the before.

And this is the after.

We put in all new floors and  remove the dated wallpaper in the laundry room and bathrooms.

Added a quick coat of paint in each of those rooms and we called it good until after the holidays.

Winter 2020

Then came 2020

My first project was to participate in the $100 room challenge working on my office.

I loved how it turned out.

Next, came the Dining room.

Not just once, but twice!

The Laundry room was next.

While it’s still not totally finished, it is so much better than when we moved in.

Spring 2020

While all of this was going on, we had signed on with a contractor to put in a pool, a small kitchen and fire pit in the back yard – las OCTOBER.

However, it took forever to get permits etc..

The backyard that was suppose to be finished in late January – mid February didn’t even start until March.

And then COVID hit.

Everything came to a screeching  halt for awhile.

It finally picked back up, but due to material supplies in high demand progress was accomplished at a snails pace.

We had put everything on hold inside the house for the most part to focus on new landscaping in the front yard and painting the exterior of the house while the pool was being built.

Summer 2020

Finally in the first part of June the pool was completed.

Fall 2020

We took July and August off.

It was nice not to have workmen around the house.

Plus, we like doing as much of the projects as we can ourselves, so it was much needed time to enjoy the pool.

September had us back in full swing on projects with the $100 room challenge.

This time I spruced up one of the guest rooms with a ton of color.

Then it was time for the holidays again!

We did however have a new roof put on and FINALLY after 6 months we built our pergolas in the back yard!

Just in time to ring in the new year!

Looking back through this crazy year, I realize that we did a TON of work.

Our new home is starting to look and feel like us more and more every day.

But there are always going to be projects here at the castle.

And we have so many plans for this next year!

I hope you enjoyed plans for Cumberland Trail part 1.

If you did, stay tuned for part 2 next week.

Until next time…

Goodbye Saddlewood Court. As I type this I have Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road playing in my head!

I may never get rid of that ear worm.

Seriously though, if you have followed along with me for the last few months you know that we are moving.

It hasn’t been an easy process, that’s for sure. It’s been filled with ups and downs.

I’m having all the feels.

I’m sad, nostalgic, anxious, sentimental, bone dead tired, yet at the same time I’m happy, excited and optimistic.

We are leaving the home we have lived in for the past 14 years, which is the longest place we have ever lived since we were married.

14 Christmas Holidays, birthdays, Halloweens, family get togethers and Thanksgivings.

You know, all the important life events.

There are so many things that we will miss.

Saying goodbye to all of the wonderful neighbors we have made over the years will be hard.

I’ll miss the redneck pool.

And the shady spot on the partio where we sit in the spring and summer and just enjoy the evenings.

My Koi pond with the one lone fish that I have managed to keep alive will also be missed.

And my sweet studio.

She’s small, but I will miss all of the inpiration that she has giving me through the years.

Even though I’m sad, I’m also a little excited.

New house, new adventures.

I welcome the challenge of creating a new home for us.

My studio will be bigger, The Hubs will have more room for all of his woodworking and leather tools.

The new house is smaller, less to dust and is mostly one story. Which is important as we and our family age.

Luckily, there will be plenty of rooms that need a little love, new paint and are just waiting for us to put our stamp on them.

I’ll miss the nieces and nephews playing in the gameroom.

Oh, the sleepovers that this room has seen..

All the nieces and nephews fight over who’s sleeping in here.

Yes, so many things to miss, however there are also new adventures to look forward to!

So, goodbye Saddlewood Court.

Until next time….

Hey y’all! I have to say that it’s hot. I mean really, really hot. Like 111 degrees hot. Hotter than Hell’s basement hot. It’s so hot here at The Castle we’ve got a whole lot of nothin’ goin’ on! It’s even too hot to get in the pool.

Seriously, I’m so over this heat, I’m ready for fall to hurry it’s self up and get here!

Between the heat and our house being back on the market, yes, I said back on, we are hard pressed to do much of anything.

We did take a few days and head to Oklahoma for my niece, Beep’s, second birthday!

I can not believe that she’s already 2!

She loves flamingos, so that was the theme for her party.

As my Granny used to say, She’s so cute I just want to pinch her!

With the house on the market, I can’t do a whole lot of projects.

Especially those that take any amount of time, you never know when you’ll get a call to show the house.

So, I’ve been doing a little shopping.

I found these sweet Halloween pillows.

Y’all know I have an addiction!

However, the skeleton will be going to my youngest’s house, so I’m not feeling too guilty.

The skeleton came from Home Goods and the Witch Is In came from Sam’s!

My house shoes bit the dust, so I was on the hunt for something cute, light weight, with a hard sole for summer.

Tall order.

Until I found these!

I know, just what you wanted to see, pictures of my feet!

These sweet things came from Amazon!

Totally impractical, but a girls gotta have some glam once in awhile.

Did you know that Bath and Body has been having sales on their Fall products?

Last week if you ordered $25.00 worth of product, you were gifted this pumpkin wall plug in with fragrance refill!

I’m on the fence about the gold leaves, but over all it’s cute .

And the smell is divine!

So what did I order?

Bath and Body Works hand soap!

Next, this may be my favorite thing I’ve purchased this month.

This adorable Fall sign!

Not only is it cute, but….

It is reversible!

One minute it’s Fall, then it’s Boo to you!

So stinkin’ cute.

Too bad it’s not nearly time to put it out.

However, until it is time I’ll be sitting here at The Castle where we’ve got a whole lot of nothin’ goin’ on!

Until next time…