Slow it down!

I have never had a need for speed.

(Except when the movie Speed came out. I was a huge Keanu Reeves fan. And I needed to see that movie at least 100 times.)

But really, going fast is not my thing.

I did get a speeding ticket a few years ago, but to this day I think I was wrongly accused. Is 62 in a 55 really speeding?

Anyway, Papaw got a new toy for the farm – a John Deere riding mower. When it is used, it appears to go faster than my first car, which was a powder blue Ford Escort…hatchback. Sweet.

Upon my research, it really only goes 7 mph. But seriously, it just looks so fast when they use it.

When asked if I wanted to drive it, I politely declined.

But after hearing peer pressure heckles from Michael and wanting to teach my daughters that girls can do anything, I moved towards the mower.

As I climbed on, I could just imagine me somehow losing control, crashing into the barn and being disowned by the entire Ryals family.

But I did it.

I couldn't remember how to turn. 

Handling this ride like a boss. Notice nervous nanny Bailey following me. 

The ride wasn’t pretty as I kept forgetting how to turn and feeling like I was traveling at light speed around the yard.

I stayed in control for the most part, and I am proud to say I know how to drive it.

However, I’ll continue to let Michael and Papaw have all the fun mowing the yard.

Remodeling update:

We started painting Madi's funkadelic closet. It had stars, swirls, dots, you name it. We are still priming, but I think we will just paint it white. 

This will be her closet, as well as a little reading nook. It's huge. She won't really appreciate it until high school. 

 Do you have the guts?

“What have you done to the farmhouse?”

That’s the question everyone asks me. And I never know how to answer.

It seems like we’ve done a lot, but its necessary chores like mowing, cleaning and prepping for future projects.

But I am happy to announce we have made major progress this week.

We are really making strides on the dining room, which I will post about next week.

But thanks to M-Squared: Renovations the kitchen has been gutted. This team is going above and beyond to create a great kitchen.

The kitchen had textured walls. Think Italian villa (Olive Garden) or Mexican restaurant (La Caretta) - depending on your cuisine preference. The crew is fixing the walls to make them smooth. Then they will install new cabinets, new counters, back splash and maybe a floor if I can get my act together. 

We are really trying to stay on a tight budget, so I wouldn’t say this is a dream kitchen. But it’s going to be so… I don’t even know… what are some good HGTV words – updated and upgraded while still keeping a farmhouse vibe. (Remember Paige from Trading Spaces? She could explain it better. So since she isn't here, just look at the pictures.)

This is 2 hours before they took down the cabinets. I started to have commitment issues and got really nervous. 

I started thinking, "I love these brown, wood cabinets. Maybe I should keep them."

I came back later that night and found this! Not Michael, but no cabinets and emptiness. 

And this! I was so excited.



Original flooring. I don't want to try to salvage it, but I am thinking of cutting a square out and framing it. 

Saving the wood for future projects.

                                                

24 hours later M-Squared: Renovations was putting the plaster up and making the walls smooth. 

Flowers my family picked for me. 

My sweet girl.

Love this place!