top of page

The Modern Shaker
Celebrating Family & Home
Do you want a natural, energy-efficient, beautiful, and affordable home like ours?
Reach out to Mickey at mickey@modernshaker.com for info!
Search


Back Up and Running
Hi Friends! It's been a full 5 months since I've shared here! Quick personal overview: This summer, I was really sick and out of commission for 6 weeks (and doing better now), our 23-year-old was living in France, Italy, and Germany, our 21-year-old started her junior year of college in Santa Fe, the other 6 of us moved out of the new house and into our rental house 20 minutes away, and our 5- and 3-year-old started attending the local Waldorf school that our older kids atten
Oct 213 min read


Our Building Process
Dear Friend, We have exciting news! Mickey and I have started a company that designs and sell house kits, similar to the one we built...
May 155 min read


Why I Gave Up My Dream House
Hi Friend, Have you been looking forward to spring as much as I have? We've had a tough winter this year in New England (good snow for...
Mar 247 min read


Ready or Not … We Moved In!
Hi Friend, I hope you had a very restful Christmas and New Year's! We did not! But it wasn't without warning ... We knew we'd be renting...
Jan 143 min read


Week 30: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Hi Friend, A couple of days ago, my 4-year-old asked, "Mama, do you do your bwog posts anymore?" I guess it's been that long! Six weeks,...
Dec 19, 20244 min read


Week 24: Primed Real Estate
Hi Friend, Well, we finally have enough progress for another update! Our painters covered up the bright green primer on the exterior and...
Nov 8, 20242 min read


Week 21: Wires & Wood
Hi Friend, This week was more exciting than the last few, as we had a real life licensed electrician on site to run the wire from the...
Oct 17, 20242 min read


Week 19: Photo Update
Hi Friend, I"m continuing my theme of "imperfect action" by just posting a photo update for this week ... Exterior trim in various stages...
Oct 5, 20242 min read


Week 18: Imperfect Action
Hi Friend! Long time, no see! Six weeks actually. Has anything progressed? Yes. As fast as I would like? NO! So between frustration and...
Sep 26, 20243 min read


Week 12: A Little Detour
Hi Friend, I finally have a bit of time, so I thought I'd check in. We are still in a state of flux - even more so because I've had to...
Aug 16, 20243 min read


Week 11: Habits of the Household
Hi Friend, Wow, do things feel discombobulated here! Everyone's shifting schedules, lack of routines, irregular events ... it's hard to...
Aug 8, 20243 min read


Week 11: When One Door Closes ...
Hi Friend, It's fitting that the close of this season - our summer building camp - is marked by the installation of exterior doors. The...
Aug 5, 20243 min read


Week 10: Exciting Siding
Hi Friend, We're wrapping things up here with the guys. Tomorrow, two of them will go to the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, which...
Aug 1, 20243 min read


Week 10: Catching Up
Hi Friend, I can't believe it's the last week of our summer building camp experiment here! I'm actually a little teary over it. These...
Jul 29, 20243 min read


Week 9: Down to the Wire
Hi Friend, We're picking up momentum now that the end of our summer building camp is drawing near - just 6 more work days left! First,...
Jul 25, 20243 min read


Week 9: A Splash of Color
Hi Friend, We're coming down to the wire here, as the guys' last day of work is next Friday - aaahhhh!! We have an aggressive schedule,...
Jul 22, 20243 min read


Week 8: A Smattering of Things
Hi Friend, We're hanging in there! The heat, the humidity, and the insulation were all trying to get us down, but we've pushed through,...
Jul 18, 20243 min read


Week 8: Windows are a Breeze
Hi Friend, My girls are back after their week away, and we are picking up momentum again! Last week felt weirdly still - maybe the...
Jul 15, 20243 min read


Housebuilding Week 7: A Few Visits
Hello dear friend, This week has been a bit wilder for me with two of my girls gone, so I'll keep it short. We had several visitors this...
Jul 11, 20242 min read


Housebuilding Week 7: A Sea of Foam
Hi Friend, Not much has changed here since Thursday, with the holiday and storms and all. The guys are diligently putting up the 3" of...
Jul 8, 20243 min read
bottom of page
