 This year was full of success and failures, along with a few unexpected detours. Here’s a break down of all our 2023 projects! 1. Dining Room Coffee/Wine Bar: in January we sourced maple plywood and solid maple trim from Suwanne Lumber Co. They were a great resource for materials and we also bounced our project ideas back and forth with them!  2. The Garden: We added a garden in 2020. It’s been the best resource of organic fruits and veggies. This year I wanted to add more beds. As I started to source materials though I realized it was outside of this year’s project budgets to get new containers. I didn’t let my dream go… I started hunting finds on Facebook Marketplace for filing cabinets. So far we’ve installed 8 of these filing cabinets into our garden layout. And I’m loving the height on them! Makes it super easy to harvest.   3. Abaco House Plans: Through a connection made on Instagram, we hired a small architectural firm called Foundry House. We are so happy with their willingness to work with our designs and layouts. I think my favorite layout that we went back and forth on and finished was our primary suite.Below you can see my rough design versus our final build plans.    4. Game Room: The old bar had to go! If you sat at the original bar then no one could get past you. They were trapped! We ripped out the bar and left the built-in. I refreshed the backsplash and paint color. Then installed floating shelves above the new sink area. So instead of having a bar that traps guests in a corner, the game room is so much easier to navigate.  5. Powder Room Reveal: The guest bath was not on our update list in 2023. Yet it is one of my favorite transformation. An overflowing toilet damaged the marble tile. So we overhauled the room. We freshened up the paint with Sherwin Williams Jasper. I used the paint both to update the walls and all the furniture in the room. Finished off the look with new lighting and a new mirror.  6. Movie Room Ceiling: Who else is great at starting projects and then leaving them behind? 🙌🏼 We added the projector and seating in 2020. The cabinets back in 2018. Then in 2022 I tackled the ceiling by trying my hand at a faux wood. The install went up without much trouble but my arms were so tired! So, I left the project behind. I finally finished the stain this year!!  7. Girl’s bathroom: As work was being done to remove the marble tile in the guest bathroom it shook the entire house. To the point that we heard a loud bang. Turns out it was the largest mirror in our house sliding down the wall. We haven’t revealed the progress fully in this room. Stay tuned in 2024 to see how it turns out. Here is a sneak peek at links to the lighting, mirrors and shades we’ve added.  8. Teen Room: The kids love playing musical bedrooms. So it seems at least once a year we are redoing one of the kid’s rooms. This time it was a transition for our oldest girl. You can find shopping links here to all the updated decor items she picked!  9. Lighting Updates: I was invited to the Alpharetta home tour last year and seeing all the modern homes and lighting I knew I was ready for a change. Inspired by photographs of luxury apartments in France, it was easy to choose to add modern furniture and lighting amid our old world trim.   10. New Sump Pump: And one more project for good measure to take us into 2024….
Flooding rains in November revealed water issues as our sump pump and metal tracks were no longer functioning. This project required us to rip out the boys bookshelves and their bay window seat. We are still in progress on this last one. Trenches are being finished today by Ever Dry Atlanta. We choose to have the pros tackle this update as it comes with a lifetime transferable warranty on any basement water issues. The Bible is our direct connection to God. There are so many lies that exist in Christian circles, in churches, and in misrepresentation of these books. The enemy likes to set up inside the church. To know what the Lord is teaching us, we have more than the words of those around us. We have the voice of God in written form. If you're looking to connect with God this year, I highly suggest the yearly bible plan by The Bible Recap. It is a great way to learn more about who God is through daily scripture reading and reflections.  So how do you start, where do you start? I believe in praying before opening the Bible. I start by asking God for forgiveness of anything that is weighing me down, I pray for God to open my heart and to show me what He has for me today. I thank Him for the time that I am getting to spend with Him and then I start reading. It can be with the plan I mentioned above, but it can also be any chapter and any verse. I would suggest the New Testament or the Psalms if this is your first venture into the bible and your not planning to read the whole Bible.  How do you interact with The Bible?
"The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth-- because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love." 2 John 1:1-3 |
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AuthorRachel Aissen is an award-winning meteorologist, Archives
March 2026
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