I’m pulled in a million directions right now as I renovate the new Lewis Revival shop space, make sure leases, council tax and licenses are in order, set up credit card processing systems, sign utilities contracts, solve the ever-present shipping issues to the island, continue to pick vintage stock, and find the best suppliers for paint and related supplies. Somewhere in the midst of the flurry I managed to register a domain name for the business, find a hosting server for it, and bumble through setting up WordPress. I’m working on setting up the online store as well, but at this point my brick-and-mortar opening at 38 Cromwell Street in Stornoway, Scotland takes precedence. If there is a perfect storm, I should be open within a month, but I’m getting pretty used to operating on Island time, so I’ll take care of the things that are within my control and not sweat the bureaucratic delays too much. It will all happen.

If you are new to my blogging efforts, welcome. If you are a follower of the personal blog Irresistible Pull of Fate that my husband and I kept while trying to navigate the choppy seas of our Transatlantic Romance and actually establish a household together legally on the same side of the Pond, welcome to you, too.

This blog may be a bit different than what you expect regardless of whether you have followed me before or not. I was a professor in my previous life; now I’m about to open a creative business specializing in what I call “Prairie and Croft Vintage Decor.” I don’t find these two callings (professor and vintage upcycling) incompatible, even if sometimes interesting contradictions do occur. I actually find that my research and teaching background is very applicable to my new endeavors. I also find that my cultural adjustment as an American expat on a remote Scottish Gaelic island has brought me new understanding not only of differences but also of similarities in experience between my Prairie homesteading ancestors and life in crofting communities. There is a constant dialogue between the familiar and the foreign in my head as I go about my daily life here in the Outer Hebrides.

So, depending on the day, you may find a post here about my newest furniture upcycling project, about an upcoming workshop I’ll be offering, or about some weird and wonderful vintage “smalls” I’ve found for the shop. But you will also find posts about cultural heritage, family histories, and the rich Transatlantic ties to be found between my new home and my old one. If you are from the decor and upcycling world, you will find familiar topics but a different voice. If you are a reader from my previous blog, you will find a familiar voice but different topics. In either case, I hope you are a frequent visitor!