Guest Blogger ~ Suzanne Davis, Pear Tree Primitives

I met Suzanne a few years back on an eBay group, Simply Primitives. We became online friends, chatting nearly every day, talking about our families, our faith, our work, our dreams... and finally in 2008, she came all the way from Idaho to Tennessee for a visit! Suzanne is as sweet and as dear a soul in person as she is online. I asked her to be my first Guest Blogger to share a story with my readers. I'm sure all of you will enjoy her guest post and when you are finished reading, please leave a comment for her and then visit her shops and her blog to see all of her wonderful work! :)

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Home is Not Where Your House Is ~

My husband and I have purchased four homes in our 23 years of marriage. We’ve never experienced the joys (and I’m sure, ‘frustrations') of having a custom home built, nor have we ever purchased a "brand-spankin’ new” model home. But each time we’ve moved and started the exciting and sometimes disappointing adventure of house hunting, the perfect house for us has always been found, and I believe God had His hand in every "find".

With each purchase, the house always needed lots of love and lots of fixin’ to eventually become the “perfect house for us"...but we are both blessed with either an ‘eye for potential’, or at least a gullible denial of reality, along with a healthy dose of "can-do" spirit!

(We did paint the outside a cottage-y white with dark blue trim)

Tiny Green House #1~ Tiny, as in 700 square feet, but it did have a detached garage and mother-in-law apartment we rented out for extra income. Fixer upper?-definitely!

We were newly married and on a limited income, so we had to be very resourceful with our money. We gutted the bathroom to the floorboards and gave the house a pretty new bathroom. And this house is where I began my passion for painting and stenciling on walls.... partly to disguise flawed walls. The end result was a cute CLEAN place to live for three years.

(We were so sad to leave this one!)

Medium-sized House #2~ Loved, loved this home! With 1600 square feet, we literally doubled the size of our first home. This home had character and cuteness just because of its age. It was built in 1901....claw foot tub and all!

Of course, because of its age, it didn’t have the amenities of central heating. So, we put that in...this southern girl couldn’t live in the Northwest without heat!

(Our Brady Bunch House)

Larger-sized House #3~ This one didn’t have any character, but it did have space. 2200 square feet of space for our growing family. Remember the Brady Bunch house? That is what this one reminded me of. It was a split level and it had an upstairs, basement, and a main living area. We lived in this one for nine years and remodeled just about every room. By default and with no desire of his own to become one, my husband was an expert on bathroom plumbing after remodeling the three bathrooms of this house!

(Our Colonial Cottage)

The Current House #4~ Having to move once again, we were caught in the declining economy. So when searching for our latest house we had to make some tough decisions about size and affordability. Going in reverse, we now live in a house half the size of house #3. And a happy medium between house #1 and #2, but with the “UN” characteristics of house #1 and #3....well, you get the idea, and we were prepared for this house. We knew how to remodel it to make it our own and to make it the “perfect house for us”. We also came to realize that size really doesn’t matter. Yes, there are days a second bathroom would be heavenly...my own private spa would be even better! (But, I don’t really miss cleaning three bathrooms!)

I think I can safely claim that it isn’t the size or square footage you live in that makes a house a home. We’ve found that our family can adapt to just about any space as long as we are ALL living together under one roof.

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2 KJV

Suzanne Davis

Suzanne's website ~ Pear Tree Primitives

Suzanne's blog ~ Painter of the Past

Suzanne's Etsy shop ~ Pear Tree Primitives on Etsy

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The CSN Stores giveaway is still going on! Visit this link to enter:
http://honeysucklelane.blogspot.com/2010/11/csn-stores-giveaway-enter-here.html

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Take Care & God Bless,

Lana

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