Krystal really wasn’t excited about moving into the house that she had just purchased. She didn’t feel safe and she and her husband were separating, she was really feeling the pressure of supporting her four children alone for the first time. I had been trying to organize the house, the placement of furniture, pictures the overall feel of the house. While watching Krystal come home and not really looking forward to being here. I wasn’t sure how to help her.

She had a few pictures that was special to her, they was still sitting on the floor, where she placed them when we first moved in. I told her if she didn’t find a place for the I was going to hang them. So one weekend she got her hammer and nails and started looking for a place for the pictures. This gave me hope! As I watched her place a nail and hang her memories that is dear to her. I could see a gradual shift in her face, a new spark appear back. She made sure each one was in the exact location that she wanted. I seen her start to return…Return to the strong, confident, determined, caring women!

I think I created an obsessed homeowner, she not only hung her pictures she decided to change the look and feel of her home. The community we moved to has a cookie cutter feel, the houses mostly look the same. I’m sure the insides all are the same also, however Krystal who has never done any wood working or working with power tools decided to add texture walls.

She started in the downstairs bathroom, it is a small, under stairs half bathroom. They had a large towel rod and a toilet paper holder that would only fit half a roll. Both were useless. Krystal wanted them gone, so we started to watch YouTube to see how to remove them. The easiest way was to just get a rubber mallet and remove it with small hits to the ceramic ends. This was her first project and butterflies set in…how to fix the hole, is this right, what are I doing. So of course I had to step in and take care of it. Hole or no hole that thing was coming off so my daughter can overcome!!! Sooo, easy peasy a few blows and Walla two holes in the wall!!! Now she has to fix it.

I already had a small wall patch kit I got from Home Depo because when I was putting up the gate on the stairs, I may have made a few holes in the wall! And I just made a few very large holes in the Bathroom expecting Krystal to take charge and fix them. Well that plan backfired, she was still at a loss and she was not sure how to fix them. The three younger boy’s father finally said he would fix it, but weeks later the holes were still there. I just couldn’t wait. So here I go fixing the holes, it went pretty well a little thick but I managed to sand it down fairly well, you can see the patch but only if you are looking for it. Did my job! Now to work on Krystal again…

One day Krystal got paint and she started painting! She painted one wall a medium grey, then she got some mixed dark and light boards that she cut to size and put them one the wall behind the toilet. She did this by herself, she had never used a power tool, much less a saw that made loud noises. She measured and cut and glued each board. Not waiting and anyone to help her. I could start seeing more spark coming back to her face…This might be working!!

Her next project was wainscoting in her bathroom, one wall with the toilet paper holder on it, not a very long of a wall. She tackled that wall with gusto, she got the rubber hammer and got rid of the toilet paper holder, she didn’t ask me or wait on my to help, this one was hers. She got a few sheet wainscoting and measured. A little leery about using the saw and getting the measurements correct, however she decided the worst thing that could happen was she would have to buy another board.

So off we go to Home Depo…Krystal had to buy a nail gun for this project (new tool, new fears) However I think the hardest part was picking out the best one for her…and asking someone to help her do that. So off I go to find someone to help and drag them over to help us. Once we got all the materials, Krystal was ready to go. She worked during the day, would come home and measure the wall, measure the boards and get her plan ready. It seamed like once she gets her head wrapped around the fact that she is going to do something, you know the second guessing, confidence building in your head, once she got that out of the way she just did it. Bam done… nails flying, dust storms, paint splashing, sparks sparking… DONE! Check, Bathroom Done!

Next her bedroom, she seen a picture in a paint color palette, with thin boards spaced about 6 inches apart and a header boarder across the entire wall. That’s what she was going to do, so off to the hardware store again.

With each board I seen a new spark in her. She can do it, she don’t need a man!! I would hear her say. Board by board, spark by spark she finished that room with her own two hands. Regaining a little more confidence, igniting the fire inside her. I love watching her regain her fire! I cant wait to watch her regain all her wonder, all her fire, all of her!