The Vernacular Life Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EPISODE 9: Top 10 Thrifting Tips Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

It’s no secret that I LOVE thrifting. The thrill of the hunt… The delight of finding the perfect piece… And of course, adding to the Densely Packed Fancy! Some people buy a coffee every day, I go thrifting. It is my vice of choice. If you are addicted to the thrift store, the antique mall, or your local online marketplace, then you’re in the right place!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

My ten best tips for finding fantastic treasures (even if you don’t have a lot of thrift options near you)

Why thrifting karma is real and you should never anger the thrifting gods

How to listen to the stuff that makes your heart sing so you can find MORE of that stuff

And so much more!

For more, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/9 to learn more.

EPISODE 8: Renovation Budgeting: How to Pay for Renovations Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Yes, but how do you afford to keep renovating? Ah, friend, excellent question. The answer is SUPER sexy and SUPER unexpected, so brace yourself. The answer is budgeting. If you are a DIY renovator (or even if you use a contractor), you’ll need a plan to pay for your projects. So today I’m sharing how we have cash flowed our entire renovation of our 1906 farmhouse!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How we make room in our monthly budget for renovations

Why we don’t actually spend every dollar in the monthly budget on projects

How to effectively estimate costs so you’re not surprised along the way

And so much more!

For more, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/8 to learn more.

EPISODE 7: Efficiency in the Home: An Engineering Perspective Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Today, we’re talking about one of my favorite topics: efficiency. As a former process engineer, it’s not just that I like thinking about efficiency; after nearly a decade looking for ways to build more efficiency into systems, I literally can’t see the world through any other lens. And my home is no different! So now I’m helping you put on your engineering goggles so you can think a bit more efficiently about how to live and work (and clean!) in your home.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How to build more efficient systems in your home, even if you’re a one-man band

Why efficient systems are like Rome: they weren’t built in a day!

5 important principles of efficiency that will change the way you look at the tasks you do everyday

And so much more!

For more, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/7 to learn more.

EPISODE 6: All the Colors in our Farmhouse! Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

I live in a crayon box AND I LOVE IT! If you’re a lover of highly dramatic colors and a cavalier disrespect for the traditional rules of house paint, you have come to the right place. I’m sharing the story of every color in my home and how it got there all around the first floor of our house.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why I love white trim so dang much

How I can bring the drama in every room without making you feel queasy

Who is REALLY choosing the final colors for each room (it’s not me!)

And so much more!

For more, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/6 to learn more.

EPISODE 5: Why don't they make things like they used to? Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

Take a crash course in manufacturing with me as we discover why they don’t make things the way that they used to. I love my turn-of-the-century furniture -- not just because it fits with my turn-of-the-century house! -- but also because it was definitely a GOLDEN age. The peak of high quality production with mass manufacture. But alas, the golden age was bound to end...

In this episode, you’ll hear:

My quick and dirty rendition of the history of manufacturing

Why planned obsolescence is harder to achieve than you think

How you can help stop the madness of crappy manufacturing

And so much more!

For more info and show notes, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/5!

EPISODE 4: How to Buy a Farmhouse Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

Finding a house that speaks to your soul with all its might is NOT as easy as it sounds!

This week on the podcast, I’m sharing the long and sordid tale of how my husband and I came to be the keepers of our Vernacular Farmhouse. When I say that my house and I are soulmates, I mean it. And I also mean that finding Mr. Right House was not at all straightforward.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why finding our forever house seemed to take FOREVER, so don’t lose hope if you’re hunting

How a basic builder-grade house felt like 3 steps backward (but was actually our path to perfection!)

Why you should ALWAYS have a final walkthrough before you close on your house

And so much more!

For more, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/4 to learn more.

EPISODE 3: How Old is Your House? Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

So you bought an old house. A REALLY old house. But you’re not totally sure how old it actually is.

I’ve been there! When we bought our house, we were told it was built in 1912. But my heart said, uh-uh, this is a Folk Victorian and I think it was built in 1905 or ‘06. How do I know? In this episode, I’ll tell you!

You’ll learn:

How NOT to barter canned goods for old house information

Why your local records office is a possible treasure trove of information (and dusty cards)

What I’ve learned about my house’s builder and his family

And so much more!

For all my tips on tracking down your old house history, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/3 to learn more.

EPISODE 2: The Vernacular Menagerie Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

The theme of this episode is: “Paige is a sucker.” I’m a sucker for animals. I never meant to be this way, but here I am. Surrounded by 27 chickens, 2 pigs, 2 cows, 3 dogs, 3 cats, and loving every minute of it. Welcome to the farm!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

The origin story of each precious creature in our herd (from our first pets to our latest homestead additions!)

Why chicken math means 3 chickens = 30 chickens AND IT’S FINE

How I (successfully?) wrangled two 70-pound pigs by myself on an impulse buy while Brandon was out of town

And so much more!

For all the cute animal pics, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/2 for a peek at the menagerie!

EPISODE 1: Historic Kitchen Counters Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Are you renovating a historic kitchen? Whether you’re restoring a space to its original state, updating an existing kitchen, or tearing it down to the studs and starting from scratch, keeping that historic feel can be tricky! One area that we found makes a huge difference in maintaining the spirit of an old kitchen is the countertops.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why historic kitchens have a lot less counter space than a modern kitchen
How the thickness and material of your countertop can make or break the vibe of your kitchen
What we did for our kitchen and pantry countertops (and why they feel so much more authentic than the mudroom!)

And so much more!

Find the show notes at https://farmhousevernacular.com/1/.

For more on creating historic countertops in your historic home, go to FarmhouseVernacular.com/Podcast to learn more.

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