The Day's Journal

Finding beauty in the everyday pieces of life

The big move to big rapids

10 Things I’ve Learned Since Moving to the Country

0 · ·

Last month marked our 1 year anniversary of leaving suburban life in Grand Rapids and transitioning to a more rural setting in Big Rapids.  We’ve made a few adjustments to our home, which was pretty much move in ready, just not filled with 100% all of my décor choices and with any home, I think there’s a learning curve and time you need to take to figure out how it really works for your life and your family.  Houses are not one size fits all.

Amongst the projects that we’ve tackled and the ones I’m still scheming about, there have been some realizations.  Life here is just… different.  Last month I was at a wedding and I told someone that I moved from Grand Rapids to Big Rapids and his response was, “On purpose!?” Yes, we intentionally moved here.  I read an article about a family that moved even further off the grid, I think to New Zeeland or somewhere similar, and lived technology free with kids wandering barefoot through the woods.  After my one year of living in this more serene setting, I have to say the idea is becoming more and more appealing.

But for the moment, I’m sharing just a few of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since relocating.

Shelby | The Day's Design | On Country Living

Photography: Hetler Photography

  1. You might have to walk a ¼ mile to get your mail

Regardless if it’s raining, snowing or hailing – if you want your mail, you’re going to have to work for it.  The mailman does not come down our road, so we must walk or drive to the mailbox daily.  And word to the wise, there are no streetlights out here so make sure you’re walking during daylight hours, otherwise you may not be able to see your hand in front of your face, much less the mailbox.

  1. Chickens are mean

Next to said mailbox, lives a farmer and his chickens.  These are free range chickens who roam wherever they please.  I now know why the chicken crossed the road.  It wasn’t necessarily to get to the other side, it was to guard the mailbox and their territory and I have been chased down the road on more than one occasion in fear of being pecked to death.  They’re fast and they’re angry.

  1. The stars twinkle in the most dreamy way

I’ve heard tails of how many starts are in the night sky.  I certainly thought I knew what the twinkle of starlight looked like.  But moving out here where they’re the only illumination in the air for miles around gives you a whole new perspective and they’re stunning.  So far beyond beautiful, they’re breathtaking and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to cover their beauty with the glow of city lights.

  1. The moon is really bright

I have an entirely new appreciation for the moon.  I watched shows from the old west and wondered how they could possibly travel by night.  I’ve also hear my dad and husband speak of deer who stay up all night and are really active when there’s a full moon.  But until you have an uninhibited view of the world without streetlights or any electricity in the night air, I don’t think you can truly appreciate just how bright a full moon really is.  And then how dark it is when it’s gone.  Suddenly, I find myself fascinated with the mood and its phases.  I also now very clearly understand this line “the moon on the crest of the new fallen snow gave the luster of midday to objects below”.  It is so bright.

  1. Wildlife is free to roam, including your dogs

The neighbor’s dog is constantly in our yard.  At 7 am, he’s pawing at my back window wanting Polly (our dog) to come out and play.  Polly doesn’t really like him.  I don’t really like him.  He doesn’t seem to get the memo.  But I don’t complain, because our dog also roams the “neighborhood” is a frequent visitor at the lady’s house next door, despite the clearly worded signs in her yard to keep the dogs out of her grass.  Sorry.

There’s also sausage shaped dog that occasionally musters up the energy to wander to our yard.  The chicken roam up and down the street, usually making it just to the very edge of our property.  Surprisingly, there are less squirrels and rabbits than I saw in Grand Rapids but we make up for it with visits from deer, turkey, more deer and I even saw a fox one day.

  1. There’s no delivery service

You want Jimmy John’s or pizza?  Then go get it, because they’re not coming to you.  We did find out that if the right driver is working at Pizza Hut, he might decide to drive out to our road but that’s up to each driver’s discretion, and most will pass.

  1. Its quiet

Like really quiet. And still.  You can feel nature all around.  Except at the very start of spring when the bullfrogs and crickets in the nearby swamp are so loud you can hardly even hear your own thoughts.  But it’s such a welcomed noise, who could really care?

  1. Your husband may start picking up some strange “country like” behaviors

Since we’re in a more outdoorsy and rural part of the state, I expected to have a couple battles to pick.  I was leery of camo, flannel and Wrangler jeans making their way into his wardrobe (I can thankfully report, they have not – well, maybe some flannel but that’s okay).  I’ve pushed aside his desire to get chickens of our own and even the fleeting idea that we should get a goat (no thank you!!)  And the notion that we now have enough space to get a bigger dog is brought up quite often.

But the stories I did not expect to tell are the ones involving him army crawling across the lawn in his pajamas and slippers because it’s turkey season and some poor little guy had the misfortune of eating breakfast on our property (don’t worry, the turkey made a safe get away).  I did not expect there to constantly be a pair of binoculars on our bedroom window ledge with the sole purpose of spying on deer and a flashlight that sweeps across our hill each night to watch them sleep.  I guess I was naive to think that these behaviors belonged at hunting camp, not on our back yard.

  1. There is no such thing as clean

Forget about ever having clean shoes, a clean vehicle, clean anything ever again.  Living on a dirt road with only a partially paved driveway means that there’s mud everywhere.  Just leave a change of shoes in your car.

  1. Going into town is a big deal

Hitch up the wagon and ask the neighbors if they need anything, we’re heading to town for the day’s big outing.  We really only live 10 to 15 minutes away from town, depending up your final destination, but the mentality is so different.  We all make sure that no one else needs anything while you’re out and there isn’t a quick grocery store to pop into if you should happen to run out of milk.  If you’re shopping for clothing or life’s finer accessories, that might involve at least an hour of travel.  Thank goodness for Amazon Prime.

By far the biggest lesson I have learned is that I never want to live in a subdivision or close neighborhood again.  The idea of closing my blinds and putting up a fence is not appealing.  While I’m not certain that Big Rapids will be our forever home, it has become home for now and I love wandering in our woods, exploring down the dirt roads and am even starting a garden this year.   Country life is where we belong.

Why I Purchased a House that Wasn’t My Style

0 · ·

When we started looking for houses in Big Rapids we quickly found what we were sure was the perfect house. It needed some updating and wallpaper removal, but it wasn’t too overwhelming and there was a ton of charm hiding just beneath the surface. I was certain with a little sweat and creativity this could become our dream home.

Then we did a little number crunching and realized how much equity it was going to take to make this fantasy a reality. And once you added that to the asking price, we realized that it just didn’t make sound financial sense. We’d most likely never recoup that money upon selling and the current owners wouldn’t budge. We walked away.

Months and months of more searching. Winter was quickly approaching and very few new houses were being added to the realestate market. In my perfect world, there was a two story old farmhouse with handcarved woodwork, crown moldings, original hardwood floors, an old claw foot tub, a grand staircase and woodburning fireplace, on a couple acres of land. It would be rustic yet charming and was just sitting there waiting for someone like me to come along and wipe off the dust. I am drawn to anything cottage style, farmhouse chic, I find craftsman style very appealing and I could even see myself in something from the Victorian era. But as reality was calling, I would settle for anything built prior to 1960 and was even considering some 70s options. This elusive country home simply didn’t exist.

In all our searching, I never saw a single home with with my dreamy white painted cabinets . It was only an hour away from our other house but it felt like a whole different world. The amenities being bragged about in home listings were things that made me shutter when walking into a house. The term “updated” took on a whole different meaning and it almost felt like I was in a time warp.  Things like granite countertops seemed like a pipe dream. And I fear that no one  cherished anything original from an early 1900s home.

We wanted to embrace country life but it was seeming more and more like we were going to move into a modular home to do so or compromise by settling for a historic downtown home in a college town. There were some 70s chalets and a couple options in between but nothing felt like home.

For five months my husband commuted an hour each way to and from work and I began feeling like a single mom. Blizzards and long days meant he would often stay in Big Rapids for days at a time and it was a pretty dismal period of time. Not to mention that our house sold within 48 hours of being placed on the market, so much faster than we ever anticipated and the pressure was on.

I realize that last sentence could be interpreted as though we settled. And maybe there’s a small part of us that did. But when purchasing a house there’s more to consider than just dream qualities and aesthetic features. There’s availibity on the market, money, location and if you don’t act quickly enough, you will miss out. I get knots in my stomach just thinking about it. Not only did we need to consider the ultra picky tastes desired by a designer (ugh, me), we also had to consider the function and design for our family – number of bedrooms, play space, kitchen (I’m married to a chef after all), storage, the property and the list goes on and on.

So when this house popped onto the market, it had potential. My sister’s reaction really hit the nail on the head, “it’s really nice, but it doesn’t look like Shelby.” She was so right. I’m not an espresso cabinet and tile floor type of of girl. I like soft lines and airy colors. But I know how to paint a wall and everything in this 1950s ranch was brand spanking new and the idea of not having to completely gut a bathroom or kitchen to make it liveable was extremely appealing. The previous owners did a really great job of remodeling and put a ton of care into the space, I just wish they would have consulted with me on a few of the finishing details 😉.

Family Photos in Ada Park | The Day's Design | Katie Grace Photography

So here we are. I’m learning to love this home. I do love the property and little by little I’m adding my mark and customizing little pieces along the way.

Picture from last fall, by Katie Grace Photography. I promise to share a few pictures of our new home in the near future, but if you need a refresh of my “style” you can see our previous home tour here here and here.


Shelby signature