Well, readers. Football season is upon us. And if you know me, the only football I care about is college football. University of Georgia football, to be exact. So, that’s why we all know I’m crazy to participate in the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge. (If you want to be crazy with me, you can register here.)
If you don’t know this about me, every Saturday from now until the SEC Championship on December 2 is reserved for football. My husband cooks delicious ribs, we set up an additional TV (and this year, a projector!) to spend all day watching football.
It’s why you can’t make plans with me on a Saturday until after football season (unless we have an early game and your event is later in the evening or vice versa). In the Frels household, we take our football very seriously. I bleed red and black (Go Dawgs!) and my husband bleeds red and white (On Wisconsin!).
My passion for Georgia football is one of the biggest reasons my husband wanted to marry me. Don’t believe me? Just ask him. But I digress…
The lesson
Back to what I was saying about being crazy to participate in the ORC during the fall. My first time participating in the One Room Challenge was back in the fall of 2021. I decided that I was going to redo our great room. The previous owners had a love for all things tan, beige, and let’s face it, boring. Everything in this house, with the exception of the primary bedroom, was tan, beige, or some semblance of the two. So, I decided I’d tackle the room we spent the most time in.
Well, in typical Emily fashion, I completely procrastinated the first two weeks. (The ORC lasts eight weeks, by the way.) And of course, it was football season, so it was hard to get work done on Saturdays without taking time out to watch the games.
I told myself I’d never sign up again for the Fall ORC, and last year, I didn’t! I enjoyed football season while cheering on my instafriends as they created beautiful spaces. And if we’re being honest, I think I was overwhelmed by the fact that I didn’t even come close to finishing my Spring 2022 ORC room (i.e., my Harry Potter office), and I didn’t have the confidence to get it done. So, I happily sat out and watched my beloved Georgia Bulldawgs win their back-to-back national championship run instead.
Lesson not learned
But this year, I’m really itching to get more done around the house, especially since my Spring 2023 ORC room (i.e., my Harry Potter office that I started in 2022) is nearing completion, and I’m hosting Thanksgiving for my family. They’re making the trek all the way from Georgia, and five of the seven family members visiting have never seen our home. It’s true what they say about hosting an event…it really kicks your butt into gear!
So, friends, I have registered for the Fall ORC, and I’ll be busy getting my project completed, among many other things in this house. And while signing up for the ORC during football season probably makes me a glutton for punishment, this girl likes to stay busy when she can. This oughta do it.
Follow along
I ran a poll on Instagram last week to see if my IG community could guess what room I’d be working on. 40% of them guessed correctly! Any guesses as to what room I’ll be making over? Let me know! Soon, I’ll reveal the room I’m going to transform, along with a mood board.
Be sure to follow along on Instagram, because I’m going to be asking y’all for your opinions on some design direction I just can’t seem to nail down. I’ll also do my best to keep everyone updated via the blog, so hit that subscribe button to stay in the know!
A few weeks ago, I learned that one of my favorite uncles passed away in his sleep. He was only 66 years old, and to say I was shocked is a complete understatement.
I hadn’t seen him since our most recent family Fakesgiving that took place in 2019. Due to COVID and everyone’s lives being busy, we haven’t been able to see my mom’s side of the family since then. We live in Minnesota and they’re scattered across the South, so getting everyone’s families together isn’t the easiest of feats.
I don’t know about you, but when someone you love dies, you start to think back to all your favorite memories. The older I get, the harder I want to hold onto them. And what better way than to write them down?
I can vividly remember time spent at his trailer in Helen, Georgia. He’d built an outdoor shower, which I thought was the coolest thing ever until I saw spiders out there. That trailer holds so many memories not just with my uncle, but with my Mimi as well.
One time, he took me and my family out on his pontoon on Lake Lanier. He loved to fish, and I enjoyed it, too. I must have been seven or eight, and I remember him having me cast out so I could troll behind the boat. He kept telling me to let the line out…let the line out…let the line out. And then we got to the end of the line and lost it. I guess it wasn’t tied well to the reel. And since that was the only rod we had, no fishing that day. I remember that so well and it still brings a smile to my face.
There are so many memories to choose from, but I’m going to hold those in my heart.
Several weeks ago, Blake and I were traveling home from the cabin and he asked me, “What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?“
That was easy. It was the advice my uncle had given me back in 2016 after I’d gone through a traumatic breakup. It’s something I’ve kept with me every single day, and it truly changed my life.
He’d told me, ”You now have an open lease on life. Make the most of it.“
I can’t even begin to tell you how that advice impacted my life. It gave me the courage to be adventurous and try new things. It gave me the motivation to do the things I’d been thinking about for years. Because it was true. I had a new lease on life, and I wasn’t going to waste it.
I don’t know if he was aware of the incredible impact his advice made on my life. It’s been in the back of my mind for the last seven years, and it will continue to guide me for the rest of my life.
Every day you wake up, you get an open lease on life. Make the most of it.
Last year, I was either using a stolen wand, or the Spellotape I had on there just wasn’t doing me any justice. If you were following along during the Spring 2022 ORC, you know that I didn’t even come close to finishing my Harry Potter-inspired home office. I’m pretty sure I have my wand (and my aging body) to thank for that. Luckily, my spell casting didn’t cause me to regurgitate slimy slugs…it just caused me to strain a muscle in my back.
But guess what? I’m back for round two! And I plan on at least reaching the 95% completion mark, just to stay on par with all my other house projects that are also sitting at 95%.
On the prodding of my good Instagram buddy Leslie, I signed up for the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge (which I’ll just call ORC for short). While I’m lucky that this office has been tucked away for a year and not impeding my daily life, I can no longer let passersby think that we’re hoarders based on the current state of the yet-to-be-finished office. (I removed the blinds last year, and yes, you can see straight in there.)
So, let’s get caught up on where we started this whole thing, and where we currently are.
Accessing the Pensieve
Here’s where we started the Spring 2022 ORC:
Cleaning out the Room of Requirement
Removing all baseboards and trim
Removing window coverings
Prepping and removing carpet
Planning new builds (i.e., the built-in cabinets/shelves, window seat for the dogs, and a fireplace)
Check out my first Spring 2022 ORC reel here, and then the first week of progress here.
Fast forward several weeks, and this is where we had to stop last year:
Popcorn ceiling removed
Carpet pulled up to make room for the built-ins (we’ll replace the flooring at some point, but it’s not in the budget for now)
Air vents re-routed
Cabinets installed
Window seat base installed
Fireplace base installed
Most brick adhered to the wall
Most new trim installed
New lighting installed
First step of painting the ceiling completed
Beadboard (last-minute addition) installed on the window bench and behind the not-yet-installed shelves
Secret door projects started
About that time, we were six weeks into the ORC, and I’d strained a muscle in my back about four weeks in. I did my best trying to move forward, but I had to listen to my body and let it rest. Because of that, the office sat in disarray until a couple months ago. It essentially became a dumping ground—yet again.
The current state of things
Back in February of this year, I’d taken two days off of work because we’d planned to meet some friends in New Orleans for Mardi Gras…until we learned that roundtrip tickets would cost us $2,600. Not even kidding. Instead, my husband flew with some friends to Ottawa to watch hockey games, and I stayed home and got some work done in the office.
To get you up to speed, here’s what I accomplished in those few days:
Bookshelves were installed
Wood grain was filled in on all the vertical pieces
Trim was installed to the top, the vertical trim and the horizontal trim for the fixed shelves
Most bricks were installed (not pictured)
Base coat on the ceiling finished (not pictured)
Nail holes/joined wood filled with wood filler
I’ve made very slow progress, but luckily, ice fishing season is mostly over, so I don’t see any travel plans getting in the way of the ORC this spring. Although, my garden will have to take some precedence at times.
You may be wondering what’s left to do. So am I. It’s quite an overwhelming list, so maybe I’ll share that once I have a better plan. After all, this perpetual procrastinator is doing what she does best…procrastinating.
Follow along
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with the progress of this Harry Potter-inspired home office. I’ll be posting in stories, possibly making some reels, and, of course, you’ll see some carousel posts as we make our way through the Spring 2023 ORC.
This year, I’m trying to do better with my garden. That means…
Making a plan
Sticking to the plan
Trying new methods
I attempted to plant a garden last year since my 2021 garden was so successful, but I ran out of time, and I just didn’t feel like dealing with the upkeep. Not to mention, we spent a lot of time at our cabin last summer—more than we ever have—so planting a garden wasn’t a priority for me.
That doesn’t mean a garden didn’t grow. One definitely grew. Did you know that lettuce reseeds itself? I didn’t know that. But I do now. And, did you know that tomatoes reseed themselves? Me, either. My tomato plants from 2021 somehow found themselves in almost each of my garden boxes. And, since I didn’t plan to grow anything, they grew outwards of about six feet from each box.
Oh, and something else? The rhubarb that was planted by a previous owner that lives outside our fenced-in backyard? It was magically growing in the garden box closest to the house. That was unexpected.
One goal for this year? Not to let that happen again. I want to be able to keep up with the garden this summer, and then I plan to use as many vegetables as I can while canning the rest to use once our growing season is over. So, let’s get into what goes into my garden.
Making a plan
In hopes I can make Professor Sprout proud, I started planning early this year. That means that I started thinking about this garden back in December. Yes, December.
I’m in a colder climate (zone 4) with a shorter growing period, so I really have to make a plan so I can get the most out of my garden. This starts with knowing my last frost date. For me, that’s April 29—the first day I can start to direct sow or begin transplanting some seeds.
If you need to find your last frost date, you can check out the Farmer’s Almanac here. Enter your zip code, and it’ll let you know your area’s last frost date.
Why is this important? Because it determines when you can begin indoor seeding or directly sowing seeds into your garden. It all hinges on the last frost date.
When you look at the back of your seed packets, you’ll see different directions, such as:
“Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost.“
“Plant seeds directly in the garden after average last frost date…”
“Plant seed directly into the garden starting 1-3 weeks after average last frost date.“
It can be overwhelming to keep everything straight, especially since a lot of seeds have different instructions. So, a few years ago, I made a spreadsheet with these details. And I set up a quick calculation that allows me to enter my last frost date, and then it will tell me when to begin seeding, whether it’s starting indoors or if I direct seed.
This spreadsheet currently has about 70 different types of seeds and the information for each. It works for me for now, but eventually, I’ll either include more details, like germination timeframes, additional spacing details, etc., or I’ll create a little website for myself that will calculate things for me, set reminders, etc. But that’s another project for another day. Not something I’ll tackle any time soon. If I do, I’ll let y’all know.
Knowing that the earliest I’d need to start planting indoors, I started to make a list of what I’d need:
Seeds (duh)
Rolling shelves for my seed station
Grow lights
Warming mats
Potting/seed starting soil
Markers
Pots
Seed trays
Shower curtains with rings
Chains to hang lights
Patience
Sanity
Luckily for me, I already had many of these things on hand, but I did order some new seeds through Bucktown Seed Company. They’re a family-owned small business, and I want to support that. I’ve ordered seeds from them for the last few years, and I haven’t been disappointed. The shipping is incredibly fast, and the seed packets come so nicely wrapped.
I did end up buying new shelves that are collapsible for easy storage, so that I’d be able to add them to my “gardening” section in the garage and know they’d be safe from my husband. The grow lights and warming mats I’ve had for a couple years now, along with the seed trays. But I did order a different kind of soil, new pots, shower curtains (I’ll explain in a minute), and chains to hang the lights.
If you’d like to see what I’m using for my seed station, I’m including links to everything below. Please note that these are affiliate links, so if you click on them and decide to buy something (which you do not have to do!), it just means I get a little commission (seriously, pennies) at no cost to you.
Check out my Instagram reel to see how I got everything set up. (Yes, Instagram did me wrong with my intro and outro.) I didn’t go into detail with the shower curtain, but I attached the curtain to the back of the shelves and around the sides to help keep any moisture from getting to the windows/wood trim. I also placed another curtain under the shelves to catch any water drips or spills.
Sticking to the plan
So far, it’s been relatively easy to stick to my seedling plan. I mean, come on…we’re only a few weeks in. But I do check on my plants each day to see which ones have germinated and to make sure they’re not thirsty.
This upcoming weekend, I get to start seeds for the following:
onions
peppers
artichokes (if I choose to…still on the fence about this one)
Something else I’ll be adding to my plan is figuring out exactly where seeds will go in my raised beds. At this time, I have four boxes that are 4’x8′, one box that’s about 2’x3′, and one that’s L-shaped and is basically a 4’x8′ and 4’x4′ combined. I’m still considering building another smaller box (maybe 2’x8′) specifically for flowers.
One issue I ran into a couple years ago was not having enough pollinators to get my squash to grow. I didn’t know about hand pollinating (i.e., the DIY of pollination). So, I want to add more flowers to the garden this year, and I may just need one more box in the middle of it all to help with that. I’ve also considered building bee boxes to encourage pollinators to make themselves at home in my garden.
In all honesty, I could probably add about two more skinny boxes in the middle, but I have to keep mowing the lawn in mind.
Still have a ways to go with planning, but we’re sticking with the plan of getting seeds started, at least.
Trying new methods
Based on my own trial and error (and what I’ve seen on Instagram), there are a few things I’m changing up this year. I’m also going to try a few new methods of starting my seeds and planting my garden.
I’m not planting corn again. I just couldn’t seem to harvest at the right time. It was either too early or too late. And then Gurley started tearing down the stalks and eating whatever corn was left.
Following directions on the heating mats. I didn’t do this last year and couldn’t figure out why my soil was growing white mold. You’re supposed to take seedlings off the heating mats once they germinate. Now I know. Reading directions is important.
Using bigger starter pots for transplant-sensitive plants. Some plants won’t survive being transplanted into the garden very well, so I got bigger pots for them to start out in. This means they’ll only have to be transplanted once in the spring.
Enlisting the help of tomato cages and trellises. I made the mistake two summers ago of thinking that a stake would be enough to hold my tomato plants. I was wrong. Halfway through the growing season, I had to create mock cages out of scrap wood and twine to make them grow up instead of out. I did use a trellis archway for my cucumbers and peas, but I grossly misjudged how much the cucumber vines would grow. I had to make up my own trellis with more scrap wood and deer netting to keep the cucumbers growing vertically. This year, I have tomato cages and multiple trellises to help with containing these plants and helping them grow up.
Hardening off plants correctly. I didn’t have a good plan to harden off my seedlings last year, and they all died. Partially, because it was supposed to rain and we left for a few days, it didn’t rain, and we hit record high temps. This year, the seedlings are on rolling carts that will eventually move to the garage so I can easily roll them in and out of the sun, as needed.
Class dismissed
With my first set of seeds slowly sprouting, I’m off to a great start. I’ve moved about 8 seedlings from their humidity domes and heating mats, and now they’re basking in the fake sunlight I’ve created with my LED grow lights. And no, the mandrakes aren’t ready yet. I’ll let you know when they are. In the meantime, you’d better find your ear muffs.
You can follow along on their progress via Instagram.
In light of the most recent school shooting in Texas, I just don’t have the heart to write a fun blog. I already wasn’t going to complete my office makeover in time for the reveal this week, and I’d made peace with that.
What weighs heavy on my heart is the number of children who have died in school shootings. I don’t typically talk about anything political because, with everyone else’s opinions out there, mine would be lost.
So what I’ll do is tell you a story.
It was May 20, 1999. I was sitting in the commons area at my high school before school one morning, and in true procrastinator fashion, I was finishing up some homework with my friends.
We always sat in the same area in the commons area—right by the library, by the 3 sets of double doors to one of the entrances, closest to C hall. We had a great view of the entire space: we could see the front office; we could see the kids getting their hot breakfast on the other end; we could hear kids playing basketball in the gym across the way; we could see kids coming in from the busses; we could see all the other groups just hanging out with their friends.
It was a normal Thursday morning. Laughing, checking our homework against each other, talking about the upcoming weekend. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Our sophomore year was almost done!
All of a sudden, we hear a loud “pop!”
My first thought was, “Is it Senior Prank Day? They must be setting off fireworks.”
Another loud pop. And another.
Silence and confusion. That didn’t sound like fireworks. I look over to my right, and there he is. Standing in front of the double doors from the bus entry. With a rifle in his hands.
It just didn’t compute. There’s a kid. Standing maybe 30 yards away with a rifle in his hands.
I remember grabbing my binder and shielding my face. Then a friend pulled me up, and we started running.
We were literally running for our lives down C hall.
I just remember hearing shot after shot and running as fast as I could with my friends. I don’t even remember if I was screaming or crying.
We finally make it outside, and teachers are swarming around, telling us, “It’s okay! It’s okay. It’s just a senior prank.”
Then our friend speaks up and says, “I think I got shot.”
We turn to look, and we see blood on his pants. He’d gotten shot in the hip.
He was running right behind me. And that moment has never been lost on me.
The next hour or two remains a blur. I remember being ushered to the football field. And wondering if our shooting was as bad as Columbine…the school shooting that had happened exactly a month prior.
A helicopter airlifted a student off the football field. I believe 7 students were shot, and miraculously, no lives were lost. I remember stricken faces and news cameras. I remember getting back home, and my brother had driven back from college just to make sure I was okay.
We gathered at my friend’s house for the rest of the day and stayed overnight. All we could do was watch the news. What had happened to us in this small town outside of Atlanta…how was it us? We were even interviewed by the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation). The nightmares I had after that day were terrifying.
I didn’t like the sound of fireworks for years after that.
Fast forward 23 years…
When May 20 rolls around every year, I’m taken back into that commons area and relive that day. I’m so grateful that our shooting didn’t end up like everyone else’s.
The trauma is still there. Reliving that day. 23 years later. It never goes away. And I experienced it as a teenager. I can’t imagine experiencing it as a child.
23 years later, I have a better relationship with firearms. I know and understand how to use them. I’ve been to shooting ranges. And I still retain a healthy fear of them.
23 years later, I make an action plan in my head when we go places with a large number of people: concerts, football games, hockey games, church. What’s the plan if there’s an active shooter? It’s always in my head.
23 years later, and the news of another school shooting is like a punch to the gut. It brings back my experience. And I still feel unbelievably blessed and somewhat guilty that we all made it out alive.
As a dear friend from high school once wrote, we joined a club we never wanted to be members of. You don’t want to be in this club, and yet, there’s no way out. You’re in it for life.
Frels at HoMN 