Author: byjoella

My Retirement Reality

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We passed thru the 2019 holiday season, and then got hit by 2020. (20/20: What I hoped represented “Perfect Vision.”)

Perfect Vision?

Amid all the 2020 confusion, I was preparing to retire. People asked, me are you sure you want to retire? Um, YES!!! We house shopped all over AZ (literally) for the perfect retirement area. We ended up purchasing a 1986 home in the White Mountains of Arizona, 5 hours from where we lived. Before I retired, we moved our household belongings into the new house over the weekends. Once our old house was empty, we sold it and briefly lived in our RV until I retired; then we moved into what we considered our rural, retirement retreat.

Our goal was to downsize and start a small, home based business built on Rustic Country Market Living, but we couldn’t find a smaller house. Instead we ended up with 1300 more SF, including a HUGE pantry (like a 3rd car garage). We thought we’d turn some of the extra space into a B&B, but instead, my mother moved in with us in 2021.

Things started to morph…

Our house has a chicken coup, so we got a few chickens. Later we found out we have predators in our area, so we had to take defensive measures. We added gutters and rain barrels to recycle water for our garden, fruit trees, grapevines, herbs and lavender.

We knew there were things that needed to be repaired in our “new” used retirement home, but what we didn’t anticipate was the amount of hidden deferred maintenance it had. Yes, we had a house inspection which turned out useless for us. No, we didn’t get a “home warranty.” The house has turned into a major fixer upper, tapping deeply into our retirement savings and absorbing our time.

A new look for an old house.
Continue reading “My Retirement Reality” →

Leader, Follower, or Free Spirit?

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I’ve lived thru a few home decor trends. Finishes have now transitioned to matte gold and brass fixtures in new and remodeled homes; a color pallet I practically eliminated from my decor years ago. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could revisit that look, but surprisingly, I managed to splash a little bit into my home. Being eclectic has it’s benefits.

I’ve also noticed a mix of finishes in homes, instead of everything matching. Now this trend I can live with. Another trend coming back is wallpaper. I’ve steamed wallpaper off, hung wallpaper up, steamed it off, and now it’s back again. Pass! I’d rather use paint (color), borders, stencils, collages, or decorative vignettes (a grouping of things).

Not that long ago, I read some decorating articles reporting decor saturation for several of today’s popular decor looks. Who decided this? Marketing and sales?

Can I be frank?

In order for retail decor sales to perpetuate, decorators and designers need change to happen to keep revenue flowing. That said, retailers, decorators and designers will (out of necessity) push out the “old” to make way for a “new” look hoping to maintain positive cash flow. This reasoning can apply to any type of new “trend” or “fad” that hits the marketplace. Kind of like sale racks you see in your favorite clothing store.

What about you?

Do you love to be part of leading the latest decor trends? Do you find yourself compelled to follow the latest decor trends spending money to keep up with the latest looks? Or are you committed to your individual creativity? Do you allow new trends to inspire you to refresh your current decor or completely overhaul it?

I believe some decor trends go through cycles, repeating variations of previous trends. A run down area getting revived might bring a fresh look to an old style. From restoring old homes and business store fronts, to renovating industrial areas and reviving communities. There’s always somewhere, someplace getting a new look.

I’ve noticed our economy proceeding times of war, natural disasters, pandemics, etc. can impact decor. The size of a home or lot size might increase or decrease, materials used may vary due to availability, population growth might influence home size, etc.

Eclectic Free Spirit…

I tend to follow the way of an eclectic free spirit when it comes to decorating. I like to observe the latest decor trends; however, I tend to decorate based more on my likes, my values, and my lifestyle. I prefer to create theme decorated rooms vs. the entire house looking one particular decor style.

I love to create interior and exterior living-spaces. I find color inspiration when I’m looking at my coffee, trees, flowers, birds, the sky, water, sand, rocks, wood, brick, rusty metal; the list goes on.

I love repurposing materials.

So, what inspires you?

Are you a leader, follower, or free spirit?

Until next time…

Inspiring Home Life,

THE RELENTLESS REDECORATOR

Recipe For Life…

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I’ve seen several versions of a “Recipe For Life” on the internet. In my opinion, some fell short, while others involved values I don’t rate high; so I decided to write my own Recipe For Life.

Serving size:

Never can have too much.

Ingredients: 

Dreams
4 cups of Hope
¼ spoon of Faith (a little goes a long way)
1 cup of Friendship
7 quarts of Love
7 gallons of Forgiveness
1 barrel of Laughter
2 large spoons of Thankfulness
Smiles

Instructions:

Start with Dreams.
Add Hope.
Add Faith.
Mix in Friendship and Love. 
Blend with Forgiveness.
Shake with Laughter.
Bake in Sunshine.
Sprinkle Thankfulness on top before serving.
Serve frequently with a smile.

Until next time…

Inspiring Home Life,

We aren’t just a market, we are Rustic Country Market Living.

Inspiring Home Life ♥️,

THE RELENTLESS REDECORATOR

Factor 75…

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It was after 5:30 PM and our Factor 75 box had not arrived at our house. OnTrac showed our box was still out for delivery. I ended up calling OnTrac to get a status on our delivery because it was going to get dark outside soon. I had to turn the porch light on so they could find us. Our first box of Factor 75 meals was finally delivered by OnTrac at 7:11 PM.

Package Arrived

The contents were well insulated. Factor 75 packed the food with 3 ice packs. The gel in the ice packs are nontoxic, but not biodegradable.

Unlike other meal services we’ve tried, each Factor 75 meal is cooked from scratch by their chefs. Our first order included 2 – Smoked Pulled Pork, 2- Lemon Rosemary Chicken Breasts and 2- Spicy Turkey Poblano Bowls.

The Smoked Pulled Pork was extremely tasty. The meat was lean. It included Carnitas Style Pork, Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Corn.

My husband really enjoyed the Spicy Turkey Poblano Bowl included Spicy Turkey, Green Beans and Sour Cream.

The Lemon Rosemary Chicken was very flavorful. It included Chicken, Cauliflower Rice and Carrots. There were no leftovers, but the portion size was filling.

One might compare Factor 75 to frozen box food, but it is fresh, not frozen. The meals taste like a home cooked meal and/or high quality restaurant food.

“Every meal is free of gluten, soy, hormones, antibiotics, and preservatives. All meats are pasture-raised and grass-fed and their produce is organic.”

Source: Factor 75 WebsitE FAQs

Until next time…

Inspiring Home Life,

We aren’t just a market, we are Rustic Country Market Living.

Inspiring Home Life ♥️,

THE RELENTLESS REDECORATOR