Well, friends, the big day is finally here.
And it’s totally not how I envisioned it. To say I’m disappointed that I don’t have a big reveal is an understatement but I’ve decided not to beat myself up over it.
You see, today I was talking with my sweet friend Kristi from Making It In The Mountains (please do yourself a big favor and pop over to her blog to see her gorgeous living room reveal) and was telling her that I won’t be doing my week 6 post today. And, like she usually does, she shared her ever-present wealth of blogging wisdom with me. Thank you friend, for reminding me that it’s not always about the finish….
Yes, every single blogger that took part in this challenge had a vision in mind for our room makeovers. We all shared inspiration pictures. Everyone had their end result in mind.
But today will be a little bit different for me. I won’t be sharing my gorgeous board and batten stairway but a little story of what’s been happening these past three months.
Let’s backtrack to May when I shared my 4th One Room Challenge Reveal. Usually, when I post my reveal my mind is already spinning 100miles an hour about which room we’ll tackle next. Instead of sitting back and relaxing for a week after the craziness that 6 weeks of ORC brings, I was thinking instead about which room we would do this coming fall.
My plan was turning our little boy’s bedroom into a big boy’s room. All those plans came to a crashing halt when at the beginning of August, as we were away on holidays, we had a water break on the second storey of our home. After quite a few hours, our neighbor noticed water running out of our garage. By that time, the water had soaked to our main floor and then to the basement.
We came home to our house under major restoration. Flooring and drywall were being ripped out. Our entire contents were packed up and put into storage. My first question when we met with the restoration company and insurance was “when will we be able to move back home?” We were told likely after three months.
Which, my friends, takes us exactly to one day after the Fall ORC reveal day.
After thinking long and hard and being encouraged by some of my blogging friends, I decided to still take part in the fall ORC. So 6 weeks ago I shared my inspiration for our Board and Batten Staircase….
You might be wondering what’s taking so long with just a staircase. It’s a whole different ballgame when you’re waiting on contractors and construction people. Reconstruction has actually gone very smoothly but when your flooring takes an extra week, it automatically makes you late for the ORC reveal. My husband and I have both said we both would rather have our flooring installed perfectly than to rush the guys along so we could share on reveal today.
So my friends, I hope you understand. That sometimes it’s not all about the big finish. Not all about the big reveal. Instead, it’s about being a little further ahead than we were 6 weeks ago. And about trying to make the very best out of our situation.
And thank you to my amazing sponsors who’ve supported me through this challenge and have offered me amazing products! I love recommending products I truly love and use in our home!
Thank you Home Right and The Summery Umbrella!
Another big thanks to our host Linda from Calling It Home for once again hosting!!
And I cannot wait to share our reveal with you soon!!
-Kendra
Oh Kendra, you know I have so much love and admiration for the way you’ve pushed through this difficult journey. You’ve worked so hard on things and it won’t be long now until you’re finally home again! How amazing is it going to feel decorating your newly remodelled spaces for the holidays!!! Counting down the days with you my friend! xoxo
Thanks so much, Kristi! Don’t know what I’d do without your encouragement! Thanks for counting down with me! xo
Oh sweet friend! I’m so sorry you are still dealing with the construction mess, but everything will be back to normal before you know it!!! I can’t wait to see your staircase when it’s all done!!!!! 🙂
Thank you so much, Nicole! You are too sweet! I cannot wait to share it all with you when it’s done! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Oh!! I so know that process of the waiting game; things always take much much longer then expected when it’s not all a DIY! Can’t wait to see it all finished when it gets there – and I’m sure you will be ready as well!
Yes, I’m sure you understand with all your houses you’ve renovated! Thanks so much for stopping by, Krista! I appreciate it lots! xo
Oh Kendra! I’m so sorry to hear about your massive leak! It is never fun when life shows up and decides to ruin your party. We have all been there and I’m so happy that your shared this post anyway. Grace upon grace, my friend – you can save this for the spring!
Thank you SO much, Jen! Sometimes it’s hard to share when it didn’t turn out like you hoped but so glad for your support! Thanks for taking the time to stop by! xo
Kendra – you are a joy and inspiration! Life has thrown you a box of lemons yet you have remained positive. We cannot imagine how hard it has been with the renovation of your home. We have always loved your ORC challenges AND you were the one that encouraged us to take part in our first ORC challenge in April! Best wishes on your home project and a quick completion!
Thanks so, so much friends! I loved following along on your second ORC and so proud of you! Thanks for counting down with me! xo
No worries, my friend! It will all be done in good time. Hoping you’ll be back in your beautiful home sooner than you think. Love and hugs to you. xoxo
Thank you so much, friend! Your comments always make my day! Hugs back! xo
Life hardly EVER goes as planned, and it’s so good to see that there are people out there willing to share these times. Often we paint a picture that would give the impression that our lives are “perfect” and our homes are always clean and organized, but that’s not always the case. Real life is real, and most of the time unpredictable. I hope you are able to get back into your home and enjoy it once again, and when the flooring is laid you’ll still end up with the beautiful staircase you imagined 🙂
Thank you SO much for your sweet comments, Erin! I agree, it’s easier to share your success and beautiful photos for everyone to see, but sometimes it’s good to share “real life”. xo