Welcome to The Izzy Project, one family's attempt to live simply, grow food, and raise functioning adults. Here is the raw material we have to work with, a charming home in the Florida panhandle.
The previous owners were gardeners, so there are many spigots around the property that access the well. That's great. But there is a lot of grass and several bare sandy spots. We are aiming for permaculture design, so these are going to be high priority areas to address. Permaculture is a multi-faceted approach to farming that aims to improve the soil, raise plants that work together, and to make positive impact on the immediate and surrounding community. It is a slow process, sometimes taking 30 years to achieve the original plan. It is also not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires creativity and careful observation of the specific needs of any piece of land. So, we're in this for the long haul. I'll dive into the principles of permaculture as we address them at the project.
So why put the extra effort into a blog? One of the permaculture principles is observation, so this will serve as a journal where we can record and revisit what we learn along the way. Another reason to write this stuff and share it with the world is that permaculture applies to more than just land. This blog serves to help fulfill the social aspects of a permie life, including sharing the bounty (also known as helping others learn from our mistakes). My promise to the readers as I compose this first entry is that I will be honest about our successes and our learning opportunities. I hope you find it entertaining, thought-provoking, educational, funny, and enriching- just maybe not all at the same time.
Who is behind the project? Well, the writing and typing is being done by Ashley. I'm married to the muscles called Ted. We have three children who we homeschool. We truly began the project years ago when we installed square foot gardens in a HOA ruled neighborhood and started buying eggs from a friend with free range chickens. The more we learned about the food network in the States, the more we felt called to source as much locally as possible. Even as consumers, it introduced us to many wonderful people and ideas. Now that we finally closed on the new house, we can begin the next phase.
Who is behind the project? Well, the writing and typing is being done by Ashley. I'm married to the muscles called Ted. We have three children who we homeschool. We truly began the project years ago when we installed square foot gardens in a HOA ruled neighborhood and started buying eggs from a friend with free range chickens. The more we learned about the food network in the States, the more we felt called to source as much locally as possible. Even as consumers, it introduced us to many wonderful people and ideas. Now that we finally closed on the new house, we can begin the next phase.
One thing working in our favor is that we are living in a different house for now. While the home is beautiful, it needs some work before it becomes Home. With heat indices well into the 110's, I am happy to spend some time caring for the interior, preparing it for our family. That's where our 3000 steps comes in.
This week, I spent two and half hours in the big blue store. We needed to replace two water heaters in the house and we managed to get it all done in one single day. The kids were great, in part because they love that store and there is room to play. We might have even played a few games of hide and seek in the plumbing department. But, after walking 3000 steps during those hours, we were ready to hang out at the new homestead. The kids love the empty rooms for ball games, which is great to keep them occupied while I paint.
This is the main palette for the house. It invokes the beach, which is nearby, and keeps some rich neutrals that can grow with us. A little finance tip: buy stock in Sherwin-Williams right.now. There is so much to paint. I'm starting with the den. The 1960 original tongue-and-groove paneled walls are in excellent condition, but with wood floors and a built in bookcase/cabinet, it's just too much wood (that's what she said). The bookcase seemed like a good place to start. The majority of it is becoming Accessible Beige with Cooled Blue for the accent on the back wall. The first coat went smoothly enough, but I did not get all the way to the bottom. When I came back the next day, I made the mistake of catching up before climbing back up on the unit to do the second coat. My clothes got several new stripes on them. Whoops! Already the room is looking lighter (it has nice windows on the east and south sides, but they are covered by large bushes, so it gets dark early).
Some future projects include updating the railing between the back kitchen and the sunroom, painting the bedrooms, refreshing the grout in three bathrooms, and figuring out some sort of drapes solution. I already have ideas for these projects, so expect to read about them soon. Here's a fireplace inspiration shot that I'm using for the railing over at Design Sponge
So, thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings. I am really excited about the progress we have made and all that lies ahead for us.
