Daydreaming-Design Inspiration for Fun Stuff to Come

Just a few ideas for the very narrow closet/bedroom conversion. We will widen the doorway significantly to open up that space and add a small window, but it's going to be quite compact. Think tiny house living, but I do love the way they hung the TV screen here!

More inspiration with the banquette seating/dining. It will also have to serve as a storage area with shelves like this one, and probably under-seat storage as well. I can't wait to see what Andy comes up with.

Faux Beamed Ceiling Could really add something to the vaulted space. Andy definitely approves.

I'll be adding more inspiration boards so check back and let me know what you think! 

More at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

Hidden Cottage & One Li'l Kitchen | Pierson IA | Facebook

Am I Opening a Ghost Kitchen?

Sort of. 

You may have heard of "ghost kitchens" recently when Uber Eats announced it was removing 5,000 of them from its platform. Ghost kitchens are essentially restaurants that have no seating or even a brick and mortar location you can order food from. They are take out or delivery only. 

Ghost kitchens, also known as virtual restaurants, have been around for a while, but they really took off during the pandemic, and they continue to be popular and on the rise.

They have recently received bad press when it was revealed that the gourmet grilled cheese you ordered from the trendy sandwich shop with the cool branding, was actually being made at your local Denny's. Other restaurants were setting up multiple listings with branding and logos, but essentially the food was all coming from the same place. 

Another issue with ghost kitchens has been the quality of food and the question of health inspection and regulation, but not all ghost kitchens are shady. Most of them run in accordance with food safety regulations and simply operate as a take-out or delivery restaurant to keep overhead low. 

Pete's Pizza in New Richmond, Wisconsin was a ghost kitchen back in the day. It was my dad's favorite pizza, and it ran out of a small kitchen in the back of the owner's house. No dining, just take out. We'd call in an order, drive to his house, my dad would run in and get our pizza and off we went!

Even as a kid, I thought it was pure genius! I think I've always wanted a restaurant in my house. 

One Li'l Kitchen will have a grab-and-go menu and frozen take-and-bake options and will also accept custom orders. I will keep regular, but limited business hours for pick-up and I will also offer delivery for a fee in my local area.

On the days I'm not keeping store hours, I'll cook and bake so I can keep the grab-and-go options freshly stocked. 

On the days I am open, you'll find deli salads, soups, sauces, baked goods, side dishes, prepared meals, and frozen items to bake at home like pot pies, calzone and lasagna. I guess whatever else I can come up with, too. There is a bit of a void in terms of fresh, homemade food options in our "neighborhood." 

I won't be making burgers, pizza or fried foods. We have plenty of that nearby. 

I might make fresh spring rolls, however. We'll just see. 

Learn more at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

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The New(est) Floor Plan-Cottage Progress

We've come up with a new floor plan for the addition and it incorporates most of the elements I had in the original cottage plan. That was important to me because the illustrations I'm working on for the children's book were drawn from the ideas I had about the cottage and how it would look and feel.

Fortunately, Andy is a really good designer and builder and when I explained the ideas I have for the new plan, he was very enthusiastic. Some elements just really slid into place. 

Pictured above is what the addition is currently being used for. To be honest, there is a lot of unused space in the house, since we became empty-nesters. It makes sense to use the space to our best advantage. 

This addition comes in at about 100 square feet more than the proposed project in the machine shed and about 200 square feet bigger than the original shed idea, but there is no room to expand. I can work with that. 

The picture below is the proposed use of the addition once we mitigate the issues of the mold and the floors. We are going to have to go to "apartment-sized" appliances and I will not get a full kitchen into this cottage plan, but there will be a very robust "kitchenette." This plan will still sleep five, but with slightly less living area. However, this configuration allows for more of a "great room" v. the other plans, so the better use of space and vaulted ceilings should make it feel more spacious. 

Going this route will also allow us to include a nicer bathroom and direct access to catered meals from the commercial kitchen and also access to the grab-and-go retail that will be offered from the kitchen for quick meals that can be heated up in the cottage.

I'm losing a bit of space for classes in the kitchen but will still be able to accommodate small groups of up to six. 

You might be wondering where we are going to live without the addition? We will be living in the 100+ year old original farmhouse that Andy bought when he was in his early twenties. Currently it's a one bedroom, one bathroom with a large eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, living room, office and laundry with an additional 600+ square feet of finished space upstairs that is currently being used as storage. It won't take much to add a half bath in that space, which is our thought. Overall, we've got more than enough room. It won't hurt us to monetize the addition and turn it into a business. 

Now for months of moving out, tearing out carpet, gutting the current bathroom, demolishing the closet in the second bedroom, running electric, etc., etc., etc. And all that before the contractors show up to deal with the roof and ceiling. Not to mention working on the grounds, planting trees and getting the gardens into shape.

It's been way too long since we focused our time and energy on what is good for us. 

It feels pretty good. 

More at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

Yucky, Unexpected Issues-Cottage Progress

One of the reasons we finally landed on converting the addition to our house into the cottage/kitchen is because we discovered a few problems recently. The most serious is mold in the roof and ceiling due to poor ventilation when the addition was built. Andy refers to the addition as the project where he learned everything "not to do." The mold issue must be addressed regardless of what we choose to do with that part of the house (originally, we were going to convert it to an apartment for Andy's mother.) 

Another issue that came up, is the floor. When the foundation for the addition was put in, the sand underneath was not compacted enough so the floor has sunk and will need to be leveled. These are not necessarily minor concerns. 

After more consideration, using the addition for the cottage/kitchen space made the most sense and seems to be the most cost-effective. We will have to mitigate these problems, but we won't really know the extent of the issues until we get in there. It could be very costly. However, because this part of the house will be used exclusively for business purposes, we may be able to reap some tax benefits from the repairs. Cost-savings will come from the existing building with insulated walls, windows, doors, drywall, HVAC and relatively new plumbing and electric to help offset the cost of the needed repairs. 

This has turned from "build" to a "remodel with issues" overnight. 

I am going to lose room to expand and a little square footage, but we get to start right away. We are already moving out of that part of the house and getting ready for when the contractors start in June. There will be a lot of things Andy and I can do on our own so that will keep us moving forward until then. 

Andy said last night, "I'm going to be really hands-on with this project. I can really see it now."

Music to my ears. No one gets my vision like he does. 

Overall, I'm still getting most of what I hoped for.

I can live joyfully with that. 

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The Contractor-Cottage Progress

Well, the contractor came to scope out the projects we have for him and after assessing things, we realized we are not going about this on the most cost-effective route. We were once again in a situation where we had to rethink everything. So we did.

I will admit I spent some time feeling a bit defeated and discouraged. I just want to start! But I get it. We need to be smart about this and we need to make it legal and sustainable as a business. 

Details. 

So once again, everything on this project has changed. I'd probably be more frustrated and discouraged by it, but then I was reminded of something my brother, Brady, has told me several times over the years, "When you have a goal, get on a path and start moving in that direction. It doesn't really matter where you are on the path when you begin, just get on one and start moving. In the end, you may not reach the goal you originally set for yourself because that path will twist and curve and take you places and present opportunities. Where you end up might be somewhat or even very different than where you planned to go, but so what?  You got somewhere. You just have to get on a path."

So here we go, revising the entire plan again, but hopefully in the end it will be even better for us. 

Things that aren't changing: 

1. There will still be a cottage and a commercial kitchen.

2, We will still be able to offer all of the extra amenities and services we originally planned

Things that are changing: 

1. We will be able to start immediately on the project and opening up for business should happen earlier than expected.

2. I will lose some square footage and room to expand, but I will get better appliances, and finishes to the overall project.

3. There will be big cost savings and better use of current resources. 

How are we going to accomplish this? It involves taking a part of our house that we had originally planned to use for the apartment for Andy's mother and utilizing that for the cottage/kitchen space. It took me a minute to get my head around it, but I'll be laying it out here this week so come back and check it out! 

Learn more at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

 My Kind of People

Recently we visited Big Island, Hawaii and did a homestead tour with a couple who has undertaken a rather ambitious project. These are my kind of people. 

Both transplants to Hawaii, Rachel is a CIA (Culinary Institute of America) trained chef and her husband, Daniel, is a former Industrial Engineer. Together they've turned into off-grid homesteaders, builders and farmers. What they've managed to accomplish, nearly entirely on their own, over the past three years on a shoestring budget, is rather amazing. 

Growing and raising their own food has been a great way for Rachel to have access to fresh and interesting ingredients in their remote location. They raise chickens and quail and there is a wide variety of fruit and other edible plants growing in their gardens and on the property. Everything from coffee, vanilla, chocolate, bananas, pineapple, papayas, beans, herbs, potatoes, spinach and so many others!

They started with an uncleared lot, made out of lava rock a very thin layer of soil and a bunch of overgrown vegetation. Now they have structures, solar powered electric, a composting toilet, bathtub and an open-air chef's kitchen in the rain forest. They collect their own water and Rachel makes her own soil. You read that correctly. Soil. 

Now Rachel gives tours of their property and takes guests back to her kitchen with items she's foraged from the gardens and prepares a delicious and interesting brunch with thoughtful conversation.

Be prepared for a taste sensation of dried white pineapple, ruby banana bread, potato latkes topped with duck, hash made with sword beans and spinach and pickled quail's eggs, just to name a few of the items she used from the farm. 

They are both PADI certified divers/instructors and their long-term plan involves a finished house of their own, guest accommodations to rent out and dive packages for people visiting the island, complete with a personal chef for hire. 

Both Daniel and Rachel captivate with their storytelling and acquired knowledge of the environment around them. They are passionate about what they are doing. Being around that energy always gives me a buzz. 

They have big plans and dreams, and they are making them come true, one step at a time. Does it sound crazy to you? It might. Their adventure is not for everyone, but it speaks to me. I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't see the point of putting a cottage and a commercial kitchen in a machine shed, either. 

It's a good thing I don't mind what they think.

Imagine all the things that would never have been attempted out of concern of what others might think. Maybe I won't succeed. Like that would be a first.

As if failure is some sort of...failure. 

Find Rachels Airbnb Experience Listing here: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/3036028

Learn more at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

 New Floor Plan-Cottage Progress

After a week of changes and rearranging, I think we got it all in. I'm sure there will be other changes along the way, but here is the current plan. 

In phase 1, we have a fully functional suite above the commercial kitchen and classroom. This gives us two income properties with the option to finish phase 2 and add another suite. 

In the finished, phase 2 version, we now have two seperate cottages that can be joined by a staircase for one large accommodation. This gives us more flexibility when renting them out. 

You can see the new floor plan here.

Pictured: The proposed exterior view of the entrance to the kitchen and the cottage.

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 Back to the Drawing Board-Cottage Progress

 

That's what it's felt like for the past week. We had the plumber come out and take a look at our plan. What we quickly realized is that the entire plan (that worked great as a shed in the grove) was going to have to be completely reworked. Ugh. 

For me, it's more than reworking a plan. It's reworking a vision I've had in my head for over a year. Now I have to see it in a different way. 

Okay. 

So that's what I've been working on through a brief break from the cold in a warmer climate, two weeks of a respiratory illness that was not Covid, and with lots of input from Andy. We have a solid idea now of how we need to proceed, but there have been many compromises. I have been able to maintain most of the vision I had for the cottages(s) so I can work with it. Andy is really happy with the new plan. I don't mind that at all. 

Some positives have come from the reworked plan too. It's been a matter of give and take and being realistic about our limitations. We've got it laid out in two phases so that feels a little more manageable, especially given the current situation with Andy's dad, who is on hospice. 

Balance. It's a daily undertaking. 

We are definitely going to spend the money to do the plumbing and septic right on this one. We'll have to make up for that with more DIY work on the build, but we figured that would happen. 

I'll post updates and reworked floor plans in the upcoming days so you can see what's new! The lumber order is in, we're getting a quote on the plumbing and septic. We're clearing hurdles as they pop up. It's starting to feel a little more real.

It's a strange and hectic time. I think we're up for it. 

More at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com 

There is no Shame in Regifting

If you give me a gift that I can't use or don't want or need, I'm giving it to someone else.

Unapologetically.

To me, regifting something just means I didn't have to go out and buy a gift, so that becomes a gift in itself. 

I have regifted lots of things to my guests over the years. We don't drink wine. I have received more bottles of wine than I can remember, as gifts. Every one of those bottles was regifted to a guest or a friend. It went to someone who enjoyed it, and it saved me the time, effort and expense of having to buy something. That is a gift! Besides, what am I going to do with it? 

I don't regift everything. Handmade items always remain with me because of the time, talent and energy put into them. On the flip side, I give lots of gifts. I love giving gifts. If people regift them, I'm fine with that. 

It's also better for your wallet and the environment. Less waste, less stuff. 

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate gifts very much. If I'm given a gift, it's rarely the "thing" given that touches my heart. It might sound corny, I'm sure it does, but if someone thinks enough of me to give me anything at all, that's enough for me. 

It's not about the things given, it's about the love the things are given with. So, give with love and regift with love because either way, it just keeps the love flowing.

There is no shame in that. 

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I Don't Know if I Can Do This

We are heading out for another one of our 2023 vacation adventures and this one involves a green sand beach. There are only four green sand beaches in the world. We will be a 2.5-mile hike away from one of them on this trip.

This may not sound huge to you, but it's pretty huge for me. My weight is still an issue for me, even after significant loss. (140+) I haven't been a walker. I haven't been in very good shape the past several years and this five-mile hike along the shoreline sounds like a lot for me. Like a LOT. 

I've been on the elliptical, trying to build endurance and strength for this challenge. I'll be with Andy and other very supportive people. It's just walking.

Just walking to something that there are only four of on the planet. 

I want to do it. I feel like this would be a huge, missed opportunity. 

I just don't know if I can do it. What if I get halfway to the beach and I'm like, "Nope. I'm done." What if I twist my ankle? What if emergency services have to be involved? 

There are no services along this route. I hear airlifts are costly. My mind reels. 

Something tells me this will be one of those "memories of a lifetime" sort of adventures for me. A hike to something amazing and rare, a helicopter ride to a hospital landing pad, either way, I'll never forget it. 

I don't know if I can do this.

I guess I will find out when I try. 

PS - I will not be bringing back any sand from the beach if I make it. There is a fine of up to $100K for doing so. Definitely sounds like something I should not miss.

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Roxy-The Original Influencer

I lost one of the best humans I've ever known in 2022. Roxana Jo Fudge. She absolutely lived up the sound of that name. She was four feet, eleven inches of extraordinary. She was one of the great influencers of my lifetime and continues to be so.

She was a great influence on many people, especially women. She loved to see women around her challenged, successful and fulfilled. She was not threatened by the achievements and accomplishments of other women. She relished in the success of the women in her life, whether it was baking a cake, taking a 500-mile bike ride or becoming a professor, she was always there, literally jumping for joy.

Besides, Roxy had plenty of her own achievements. Roxy taught me that competing against other women was childish and counterproductive. Against yourself, that's how the real bad-ass women compete. 

Among the many and varied lessons she taught me, was how to be happy for others when good things happened for them, even if those good things were not happening to me. She so easily understood and put into action the idea that supporting someone when good things were happening for them, with her joy and enthusiasm, allowed her to be a part of that good fortune, even if only indirectly. 

She also understood that something good happening for another had no bearing on whether or not good things would come to her. She anticipated good things coming to her and felt there was no reason they wouldn't. It certainly wasn't dependent on anything that was happening for others around her, so why not share in their happiness? 

She once said to me, "I wonder if friends who can't be happy for you when something great happens for you, are very good friends at all?" 

See what she did there? "I wonder." As in, "I'm not telling you what to think. I'm just asking the question." Planting a seed, for thought to grow.

Then the next thing out of her mouth comes, "I hope I show that I am happy for my friends when good things happen to them." 

See what she did there? As in, "I hope I do for them what I wish them to do for me. Do I?" Planting a seed, for reflection and improvement to grow.

Many of the plans and projects I'm working on now, including upcoming travel, the children's book, recovering my health and the cottage itself have been inspired by how well she lived and loved her life. If she wanted to do something, learn something, go somewhere, Roxy went after it. I would like nothing more than to follow in her tiny footsteps. 

She taught me so much. She taught me to believe in myself and my vision, even if no one else did. She encouraged me to be brave, she traveled with me, she pushed me outside of my comfort zone when she could, and she held me accountable. She taught me to choose my battles and to accept that not everyone is going to feel about you, the same way you feel about them, and that's okay, and you will be okay.

In fact, you are already more than "okay."

Now, that is an influencer. 

More at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

Cottage Progress

Before we get to any of the "fun" stuff, we're going to have to clean up around the shed. We have loads of raspberries and brush we are going to have to clear. You can't see it from this view, but the siding on the back of the shed will also have to be replaced due to damage from a bad storm. 

What you're looking at is the future entrance to One L'il Kitchen, my commercial kitchen dream! 

The lumber order has been made and as soon as it arrives, we will start measuring and do some preliminary framing! 

We have plans for some landscaping, tree planting and vegetable gardening this spring and summer. I'm a terrible gardener, with goals to become a moderately successful gardener. We shall see. 

Not much getting done today, however, as we're getting some much-needed rain. It feels like a good day to work on the paintings for the children's book. Maybe. Even with the rain, it's going to be a productive week! I'm not entirely sure about that, but if I say it enough, maybe that's how it will work out. 

It can be frustrating working on a long-term project when I can see the end-goal in my head so clearly, but the reality of it just takes its own sweet time. 

One thing I do know about reaching any goal is that if I can see it in my head, I can make it happen in my real-time experience. Although it may take me some time to figure it out, I just have to identify each step in getting there.

Then take them. 

More at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com

 Love Language

I'm sure you've heard the expression. It refers to the way you express love toward others through your actions. 

Throwing parties, cooking, gift giving, special occasions, are my love language. It's always been true, ever since early childhood. I often go to great lengths to make my occasions stand out in the memories of those I love. 

A lot of times people around me don't get it. My mother used to tell me I was generous to a fault. I still don't understand how generosity can be a fault, but if you know, please avoid telling me. I enjoy living in my own world where generosity is a good thing.

Mine has never taken food off of my table, so I'm fine with it. 

Recently I received a wonderful and generous gift from my niece and nephew, ages six and four, respectively. 

We were all together on a family weekend, staying at an Airbnb before Thanksgiving. I was busy cooking and helping my niece with craft projects when I started to feel a little headachy and run down. I needed to lay down for a bit and that's what I told my niece and nephew. I promised to return for more fun as soon as I'd had some rest. I laid down for about an hour. 

When I got up, Andy came in and said, "The kids have something they made for you. They want to show you."

How sweet. 

Andy took me up to their room and to my surprise and delight, they had decorated the room with a plethora of "fancy" pipe cleaners that they had bent and twisted into decorations. On every lamp, light switch and every piece of furniture, were these fabulous, sparkly contortions! They made presents and wrapped them for me! There were snacks! They had dimmed the lights and they had Andy start the music. 

My niece exclaimed "We made you a dance party, Gramela!" ("Popcorn" by Gershon Kingsley performed by "Hot Butter" 1972  Popcorn Original Song - YouTube )

Ooh. A dance party. For a headache. Thrown by a six and four year old. 

I'm IN!

We danced and laughed and danced some more until we were sweaty and tired. After the dancing died down, I looked around at the beautifully decorated room and it hit me. 

The kids had been paying attention. They noticed all the times I visited with gifts and ways to make our time together a special occasion. Under the actions of making the crafts and giving the gifts and playing the games and baking the cookies, was the love, and they knew it. 

How can I be sure? Because as the glint off of one of the sparkly pipe cleaners, dangling from a drawer pull, caught my eye, I realized the obvious truth of it. The children were speaking my love language back to me. I heard it loud and clear, as "happy tears" streamed down my cheeks. 

I still have all of the sparkly pipe cleaners in a box.

How could I throw away a box filled with love?

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Traveling Makes Us Better Hosts-The Spoons

It's a convenient truth. Traveling does make us better hosts. Some of the best ideas and inspiration that is going into the Hidden Cottage, has come from stays at other rentals with great hosts. 

We stayed at a cottage called The Spoons on the Isle of Skye in Scotland on our honeymoon and some of the ideas we gathered there have inspired us for more than a decade. 

The thing that truly set The Spoons apart was that it felt more like an entire experience, rather than just a hotel or place to stay. It felt like the place welcomed you and swept you into a million tiny, perfect, delicious little details that made you feel like royalty. Or at least like this was something extra special. We basked in that feeling. 

It wasn't just the attention to detail, impeccable editing, and genuine hospitality, nor was it the delicious hand-crafted breakfast offerings, but the excellence and love in which they were offered. Hosting at its very finest. I believe just about anything can be done so well, the elevation of it, the execution of it, becomes its own art form. The Spoons achieved that in hospitality. 

In 2023 we have promised ourselves a year of adventures and experiences and dreams come true. We're going to do some traveling, take some cooking classes in other countries, glean ideas from other hosts and bring the new knowledge, skills and aesthetic back to make the Hidden Cottage perfect for our guests. 

The Spoons is no longer in business, but you can still find amazing reviews about them online. Tricks I learned there will inspire me forever. Creating an experience for our guests like the one we had there is the bar I'm always aiming for.

More at hiddencottageatlinncroft.com