After we made the decision to move into the city, we put our house on the market. It was the weekend before The Farm Chicks Fair. After a couple of months, we accepted an offer and we began going through the long process of waiting for the buyer’s paperwork and financing to make its way through the system which meant that our house was off the market while the process unfolded. It took about two months and during that time, our house was off the market, pending the sale.
We began making our plans, finding a rental house to move into while our new home is being built, and packed every bit of our belongings. On the day of the closing, we found out our buyers had backed out just a couple of hours before closing. We had been scheduled to move out the next day at 8am. It was a jarring experience that we made our way through, then postponed our move, put the house back on the market, unpacked the very least amount of household items and clothing as possible, and staged the house with the minimum amount of objects I thought was acceptable. And then, as quickly as it had gone back on the market, we received two great offers. And for reasons that were personal to us, we agonized a bit over which offer to accept. And after we made that decision, the deal went through really quickly because of the new buyer’s terms.
We’ve now moved into Spokane, in a temporary house near the building site of our new home. The foundation went in last week and construction will begin early in the spring. In the meantime, I’ve been posting stories to my Instagram pagewith updates on the progress and will be continuing with that, along with lots of blog posts about the design/finish choices as we move forward.
Colin has spent the last couple of days trying to figure out some good lighting choices to brighten up the temporary house as we head into winter and I’ve been slowly getting situated, figuring out which grocery store will be mine, and little things like that.
One of the questions I’ve been getting a lot is What’s the style of the new house? The design is classic, French-inspired and chic, which is fitting for our city location, whereas a farmhouse wouldn’t feel right in the setting. I’ll be going with some unique finishes on the interior that will bring the chic feel I’m looking for to life.
Colin and I are really enjoying the design and building process and I’m looking forward to sharing the journey with you.
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
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COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209
COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209