Its so good to meet you!
Find out more about me, how I renovated my Grandparents’ 100 year old farm house and how I am a total DIY fanatic by checking out The story behind my Storyhardt Farm. Or, you might also like my weekly DIY newsletter to keep up to date on all my recent projects and tutorials.
What's been happening this week
To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #144)
Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go link party. The weather here has been pretty lovely as of late, we cooled off to our more normal temps for June in the high 60s and 70s. We’re actually getting enough rain right now that I haven’t had to water my garden or flowers for the last couple of weeks. My bumbles, monarchs and humming birds have moved back in and its such a joy to see them! Meanwhile I’ve been working hard on my garage and have totally neglected my house and I’m totally ok with that lol If my house doesn’t get cleaned again until fall no one can blame me! Its time be OUTSIDE! On to the Party! Read More »
Crafting and Creativity: Taking up a New Skill
The closest I’ve ever come to “crafting” I guess would be back when my Mom taught me to crochet. I’ve always loved the idea of getting a sewing machine and really learning to sew, but, admittedly, I am truly impaired when it comes to most things that are considered crafts. In fact, I’m kind of the chick that throws anything tedious across the room lol. But, still, as I grow older I can see myself picking up crocheting again someday, I would love to have at least one blanket of my own that I made to hang beside those my Grandma and Mom made! Read More »
Live With Less: Tips To Declutter Inside And Outside Your Home
I LOVE to declutter! But I am on both sides of this coin when it comes to a hoarder and a purger. On one hand I can’t stand clutter or “stuff” I even realized this year when I had another dozen garbage bags to haul to the dump that every single thing in my life has a literal expiration date for me. I thought I had cleaned out my garage last fall! Turns out another few months meant another load expired! I’m pretty ruthless – if I don’t use but have moved it more or once – its GONE. On the other hand though when it comes to OLD things, like my Grandparents’ screen doors or all the old furniture I have. Well, let’s just say I won’t be parting with any of it ever!! Read More »
DIY Irrigation for My Gardens – Leaky Hose Upcycling!
DIY “Irrigation” made from old leaky hoses for my vegetable garden and perennial flower bed. As anyone who has ever watered anything outside knows it can be a real (and literal) drag moving hoses around. I had a little sprinkler thing for my vegetable garden but its arc was WAY too big for it and now that I built my raised beds it was basically worthless and (even before I built them) it mostly just watered the lawn. My L-shaped flower bed by my house was probably my biggest drag though when it came to all in pain in the butt to water. Read More »
To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #143)
Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go link party. Good grief I totally forgot to say hello last week! Hi everyone! The heat hit us with two days in the 90s followed by a major storm and now we’re back to 60s and 70s. The heat felt REALLY good after that endless winter we just got through. My beans, carrots, beats, dill and cucumbers are up in my garden and I finished insulating my garage this last weekend. Now that is job I’m glad I will NEVER have to do again. I literally had sweat dripping off of my sweat while being totally covered in fiberglass – ICK ICK ICK. Two showers later and I am finally no longer itching! On to the Party! Read More »
Moving the Stock Tank to a Safe Place in the Back of my Garage
In May of 2015 we had electricity run from my main power pole to the barn because there was a water hydrant out there (dug many decades ago) hooked up all the way underground to my water in my basement. We brought the horses home in June of that same year and, initially, that’s simply where they hung out, that’s where I fed them, where I put up their red fence corral, where I stored their hay and where their water tank was. We cleaned out the old lean-to off the back of the barn for their shelter too. Sadly though, as many of you already know, this last record breakingly awful winter was too much for my old barn (and thousands of others) which means it is truly no longer safe. Read More »
DIY Redesigning Your Living Room
OMG you guys I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here yet but I am SO excited to redesign my living room this fall! I plan on painting it out and redoing the floors (like I did in my entryway because the smoke damage is bad in here too) I also plan on painting the ugly rock on the chimney. Its really one of the last big jobs to take care of the smoke damage and really get my home sparkling again! I also even plan on (drum roll please) a new couch! It seems kinda silly but I’ve never picked out a new couch by myself before and I’m really excited! Read More »
Most recent from Do It Yourself
DIY Irrigation for My Gardens – Leaky Hose Upcycling!
DIY “Irrigation” made from old leaky hoses for my vegetable garden and perennial flower bed. As anyone who has ever watered anything outside knows it can be a real (and literal) drag moving hoses around. I had a little sprinkler thing for my vegetable garden but its arc was WAY too big for it and now that I built my raised beds it was basically worthless and (even before I built them) it mostly just watered the lawn. My L-shaped flower bed by my house was probably my biggest drag though when it came to all in pain in the butt to water. Read More »
Raised Beds in My Garden – Building with Oak and Barn Wood
Building raised beds in my garden using up wood from my barn stash. I made the HUGE mistake of using hay in my garden the year before last to help keep the weeds down. I really really really researched it too and everywhere online said that hay would work just as well as straw. Well now we all know that to be very very very wrong and you can easily find that to be true online now too! I should’ve known better! Hay is a perennial and I was growing it four feet tall in my garden last year. So, this is how my garden looked when I started lol Read More »
How to Spot Stain a 100 year old Hardwood Floor
How to spot stain a wood floor. With that hideous wood stove finally gone there was no missing the big glaring spot of unfinished floor in the middle of my kitchen! Years ago, when I was in the middle of one VERY cold winter and in the middle of gutting and renovating this entire house, I chose to get my wood stove installed ASAP. I needed the heat! So, when the time came back in 2015 to refinish the floors I didn’t move the several hundred pound stove to stain the floor beneath it. Read More »
Most recent from Before and After
Home Tour: My entry, office and dining room reveal!
I should have posted a reveal of my entry way back when I first “completed” it in 2016. But, honestly, it never felt truly “done” until now. The wood stove happened and the entire room needed to be repainted because of smoke damage and then, because I had it cleared out I went ahead and gave my floors some TLC too. Finally though I was able to take my time and put it all back together again! Read More »
Thrift Store Lamp gets a Country Makeover with the Farmhouse Hens
So, a few months ago, I went to my local thrift store to get myself a sweater to make mug koozies for my Christmas in a Jar post. I left the thrift store with two sweaters, some shop rags, a mirror tray and a lamp! To be fair I still only spent $8 and no one really believed I was just gonna be able to get one sweater right? Read More »
My Laundry Room Reveal – How one gorgeous table cloth started it all!
Finally we have come to the reveal of my new laundry room! Yep, I am no longer calling it a closet – I believe this space deserves to be labeled a real room now. First I tackled the heavy lifting, recycling my old kitchen pantry here in several places, building custom shelves, trimming it all out and painting the whole room. From there I added some color and then, finally, I was able to put it all together with some serious organization. Read More »
Most recent from The blog
Moving the Stock Tank to a Safe Place in the Back of my Garage
In May of 2015 we had electricity run from my main power pole to the barn because there was a water hydrant out there (dug many decades ago) hooked up all the way underground to my water in my basement. We brought the horses home in June of that same year and, initially, that’s simply where they hung out, that’s where I fed them, where I put up their red fence corral, where I stored their hay and where their water tank was. We cleaned out the old lean-to off the back of the barn for their shelter too. Sadly though, as many of you already know, this last record breakingly awful winter was too much for my old barn (and thousands of others) which means it is truly no longer safe. Read More »
Spring updates and, of course, I have a Summer to do list!
Summer is actually on its way! OMG for real I think most of us Minnesotans began to give up hope that spring would ever get here! But, thank the universe, it has arrived and of course I have a list lol! Now, unlike My Winter To-Do-List my summer to-do-list I actually might finish THIS summer. I never really thought that I would get through my ENTIRE winter to-do-list this last winter, but this horrible winter did mean I was trapped inside for nearly five months so I did get through a lot of it! Read More »
2018 Recap of yard work, completed rooms & a new home for my horses!
2018 Recap! I was freaking out last week about a couple of things I need to get done ASAP now that spring is finally here. When I get stressed I get snippy and very vocal with lots and lots of words generally through messenger. Fortunately I have people who put up with me and know that, in less then 30 seconds, I will be apologizing. How I deal with things is to tackle whatever is in front of me and basically forget anything that’s finished by placing it behind me forever. But, from time to time, I remind my family (and they remind me) just HOW MUCH we have done and just how incredibly far we’ve all come. Read More »
Most recent from Home Tour
Home Tour: My entry, office and dining room reveal!
I should have posted a reveal of my entry way back when I first “completed” it in 2016. But, honestly, it never felt truly “done” until now. The wood stove happened and the entire room needed to be repainted because of smoke damage and then, because I had it cleared out I went ahead and gave my floors some TLC too. Finally though I was able to take my time and put it all back together again! Read More »
My Laundry Room Reveal – How one gorgeous table cloth started it all!
Finally we have come to the reveal of my new laundry room! Yep, I am no longer calling it a closet – I believe this space deserves to be labeled a real room now. First I tackled the heavy lifting, recycling my old kitchen pantry here in several places, building custom shelves, trimming it all out and painting the whole room. From there I added some color and then, finally, I was able to put it all together with some serious organization. Read More »
My New Workshop Reveal – Fancy, Fun and Organized!
Well I finally made it – here is my finished brand new workshop reveal! This was a LONG time coming: My first post about moving my workshop out of my basement came out in MAY OF LAST YEAR. I lived in a constant state of digging through boxes, looking for one tool or another, and going absolutely bat shit crazy lol. Read More »
Most recent from Link Party
To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #144)
Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go link party. The weather here has been pretty lovely as of late, we cooled off to our more normal temps for June in the high 60s and 70s. We’re actually getting enough rain right now that I haven’t had to water my garden or flowers for the last couple of weeks. My bumbles, monarchs and humming birds have moved back in and its such a joy to see them! Meanwhile I’ve been working hard on my garage and have totally neglected my house and I’m totally ok with that lol If my house doesn’t get cleaned again until fall no one can blame me! Its time be OUTSIDE! On to the Party! Read More »
To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #143)
Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go link party. Good grief I totally forgot to say hello last week! Hi everyone! The heat hit us with two days in the 90s followed by a major storm and now we’re back to 60s and 70s. The heat felt REALLY good after that endless winter we just got through. My beans, carrots, beats, dill and cucumbers are up in my garden and I finished insulating my garage this last weekend. Now that is job I’m glad I will NEVER have to do again. I literally had sweat dripping off of my sweat while being totally covered in fiberglass – ICK ICK ICK. Two showers later and I am finally no longer itching! On to the Party! Read More »
To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #142)
Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go link party. On to the Party! Read More »
Most recent from Inspiration Board
OMG Pumpkins everywhere! Hometalk Fall Decor Inspiration board
Hometalk Fall Decor Inspiration board! Summer is absolutely my favorite time of the year – you will NEVER hear me complaining about the heat lol But I honestly think that’s a fact simply because fall and spring are such short seasons here in northern MN. Fall for us could truly last all of three weeks like our spring did this year! And that’s just depressing lol because that means we’re settling into at least four months of some serious cold and snow. Read More »
Hometalk’s Outdoor Projects I Can’t Wait to Build! Do it Yourself!
Inspiration Board of the Outdoor projects on Hometalk that I’ve been drooling over! I received a comment on my outdoor bench saying, “You’re SO crafty, that’s amazing!” And I admittedly got a bit offended, eventually I just laughed about it but I’m not sure how I can build a wrap around bench for my deck and still be called “crafty”. I could’t help but think that if I was a guy she certainly wouldn’t have looked at that bench and called him crafty! I am a builder at heart and I spend most of my time building things in my head or drooling over outdoor projects like these: Read More »
Let’s build some swings! Pinterest Do It Yourself Inspiration Board!
Well now that spring has FINALLY arrived, my dreaming has turned to swings! Let’s build some! These are some of my favorites I’ve found on Pinterest and stashed away for a later time because, seriously, who doesn’t want to swing away a beautiful summer day? Contrary to popular belief, I do NOT feel that swings are for kids in any way. Many of these are very grown up swings for us “adults” lol Read More »
Most recent from Contributed
Crafting and Creativity: Taking up a New Skill
The closest I’ve ever come to “crafting” I guess would be back when my Mom taught me to crochet. I’ve always loved the idea of getting a sewing machine and really learning to sew, but, admittedly, I am truly impaired when it comes to most things that are considered crafts. In fact, I’m kind of the chick that throws anything tedious across the room lol. But, still, as I grow older I can see myself picking up crocheting again someday, I would love to have at least one blanket of my own that I made to hang beside those my Grandma and Mom made! Read More »
Live With Less: Tips To Declutter Inside And Outside Your Home
I LOVE to declutter! But I am on both sides of this coin when it comes to a hoarder and a purger. On one hand I can’t stand clutter or “stuff” I even realized this year when I had another dozen garbage bags to haul to the dump that every single thing in my life has a literal expiration date for me. I thought I had cleaned out my garage last fall! Turns out another few months meant another load expired! I’m pretty ruthless – if I don’t use but have moved it more or once – its GONE. On the other hand though when it comes to OLD things, like my Grandparents’ screen doors or all the old furniture I have. Well, let’s just say I won’t be parting with any of it ever!! Read More »
DIY Redesigning Your Living Room
OMG you guys I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here yet but I am SO excited to redesign my living room this fall! I plan on painting it out and redoing the floors (like I did in my entryway because the smoke damage is bad in here too) I also plan on painting the ugly rock on the chimney. Its really one of the last big jobs to take care of the smoke damage and really get my home sparkling again! I also even plan on (drum roll please) a new couch! It seems kinda silly but I’ve never picked out a new couch by myself before and I’m really excited! Read More »
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Everything you see here on this blog the author has chosen to do so entirely at her own risk. And that is: risk to herself and risk to whatever she may be working on/her home and her own wallet. The author assumes absolutely no liability if you choose to follow in her foot steps and attempt anything you see on this website yourself. The author strongly urges you to do your due dilligence before attempting anything of a diy nature at home.Disclosure and Privacy Policy
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