My name is Emily and I started Cabin Fervor (formerly known as Thirtyeight20) in 2009 as a place to track the progress of our home renovation for family and friends. Both house and blog have grown into bigger projects than originally planned, as projects tend to do, and I do my best to keep up. I am a graduate of Brown University with a dual degree in English and Religious Studies. I work full time as a communications manager for a large international nonprofit, and I do freelance writing and editing projects for people who ask nicely. I'm also the wife of the handsome and hardworking guy (Ez), mother to a feisty and dimpled daughter (Johnnie) and a follower of Jesus. You can email me at thirtyeight20 [at] gmail [dot] com.
About the house
In August 2008, just as the housing market began to crash, Ez and I (each at the ripe age of 24) purchased a neglected property at a foreclosure auction. Beneath layers of crumbling siding, the house was a rustic cabin made of hand-hewn logs, built in the mid-to-late 1800s. With six rural acres surrounded by pastures, a stream running down one edge and peacocks wandering the yard -- all within commuting distance of Baltimore -- it had a lot of potential. But for all its promise, the house had many problems -- some fully expected, others unwelcome surprises. We gutted the house completely and bulldozed the overgrown yard, stripping it all back to the barest bones. Now we are rebuilding.
About this blog
Our renovation is a slow-moving project, one that we attempt to do with our own two hands as much as possible; we take our time, wait for bargains, save our money, spend time doing other things, and sometimes get fed up with the whole thing and pretend it will finish itself. The arrival of our daughter in August 2011 slowed the pace even further, as we find ourselves wanting to spend time simply living in our home rather than working on it. Posts are generally a mix of renovation updates and sappy mommy-blogger stuff, because I can't help it. I strive for authenticity in this space, so nothing here is staged. (Okay, so maybe sometimes I push a little clutter out of the frame before taking a photo...) Really, I just write mostly for myself these days, to show myself how far we've come. Hopefully you'll enjoy following along and becoming a part of it. Welcome!
Updated 12/4/13
