The Girls Blog

Big, bad, bold, brilliant dreams

By Ronda Payne

Not far from our house – the mother of ugly – is a wonderful trail we like to hike that leads up to an amazing open field with sloped land, trees and a creek. It’s about 50 acres (in my poor efforts at estimation) and it’s called the Jackson Farm. Here’s a link to see…

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Stenciling for cats

By Ronda Payne

It’s been a while since I last posted, but I figure it’s about time to get back at it! In the vein of my Renovator’s Wife posts, I want to show how easy stenciling is  and how it can transform a room. Now, to be fair, I live in “the mother of ugly” house, so…

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Cheap, Easy & Available

By Ronda Payne

I had a boss a number of years ago who loved the phrase: cheap, easy and available. It made me laugh every time he said it and I’ve adopted it in many situations Today, I’d like to apply the phrase to paint. Given the latest project The Renovator and I have taken on, I’m reminded…

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Brandie

By Ronda Payne

She wasn’t supposed to be with me. I wasn’t ready for another dog in December of 2002. Still mourning the chow I’d loved for almost a decade and a half, my near-ex husband decided another dog was in order. Giving in, I stressed, “when we separate, she’s your dog.” Brandie was 4. Her October birthday…

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I've committed to what?!?!

By Ronda Payne

As a recovering Type A personality, I still struggle with finding balance in my life. The thing I find most challenging is that the thought of letting someone down causes me great stress. A lot of times I’ll take forever to commit to something, or I’ll commit, but won’t give a timeline – that’s because…

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Dirt Under my Nails

By Ronda Payne

I feel a restorative sensation when I get my hands in the dirt. With this spring’s early heat, it seems everyone has been out in their yards and gardens early. And for good reason! It feels good to be outside – even little things like sweeping off the sidewalk or planting a few flower pots…

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I'm Baaaaccckkkk!

By Ronda Payne

After an amazingly long journey, I’m back to blogging. It took a very, very, very long time to get the new web site up (I finally found the right designer – Andrea Walker of Walker Park Media – who did a brilliant job; then like the cobbler with no shoes, it took me ages to…

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Articles

By Ronda Payne

When it comes to working with a writer, you have to see what they’ve done to get a feel for their style. Here are a few of the Girl with a Pen’s sample projects – don’t see what you’re looking for? Just drop a note through the contact page and ask. Review some of the…

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When New Doesn't Mean New

By Ronda Payne

When you buy a pre-owned car or house, generally speaking, you say something like “I bought a new car” or “we’re moving into a new home” even though it isn’t ‘new’. Over the past few decades, we’ve grown used to the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle. While renovting often is a case of ‘out…

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The Squirrel, The Bear and A Moose

By Ronda Payne

Okay, I’ve taken a couple of months off from the blog, but I’m back! The Renovator’s best friend goes hunting every fall and has been bugging The Renovator to go. This year, he finally caved in, wrote the test, got his licence and booked the time off. I wasn’t looking forward to him being gone…

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