Cara Brookins was left emotionally broken when her second abusive marriage ended. She got well by building her own house, which she did after seeing YouTube videos on how to do it.
The mother of four started looking for a new house in 2007 after being forced to sell the Bryant, Arkansas, home she and her soon-to-be ex shared. At the moment, though, anything the computer programmer analyst could afford was too tiny. Brookins too felt obliged to take action to bring her family back together. She admits, “But I had no idea what that should be.”
Brookins, therefore, came up with the idea to build her own house from the ground up. According to Brookins, 45, “If anyone was in our situation, they wouldn’t do this.” “No one else viewed it this way, and now that I think about it, I understand it sounds crazy.”
One acre of property cost Brookins $20,000, and she obtained a building credit for about $150,000. She then started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to do things like run a gas line, build a wall, lay a foundation, and install plumbing.
Her children, ages 2 to 17, helped her throughout the nine-month construction of the 3,500-square-foot home. At the time, Drew, who was 15 years old, helped Brookins make the preparations. Jada, who was 11 at the time, transported water from a neighbor’s pond using buckets because there was no running water on the property. She then combined the water with 80-pound sacks of concrete to create the mortar for the foundation.
It felt impossible the entire time, according to Brookins, who worked when the kids were in school. After school, Brookins drove her family to the five-mile-away construction site where she worked late into the night on the new house.
YouTube videos previously were vague and provided numerous solutions to a task. Brookins employed a part-time firefighter with building experience for $25 per hour to help with some of the more challenging tasks. She remembers, “He was a step ahead of us in knowledge.”
On March 31, 2009, Brookins and her kids moved into the five-bedroom home. She gave it the name Inkwell Manor in recognition of her desire to become a writer.
In the years afterwards, Brookins has written numerous middle grade and young adult books. She has also written a biography titled Rise: How a House Built a Family, which will be released on January 24.
Building the house helped Brookins emerge from her depression. We were ashamed that our best option was to construct our own shelter, Brookins adds. “We weren’t really proud of it,” In the end, it proved to be the best thing I could have done for myself.
She says, “You can do anything you set your mind to if I, a 110 pound computer programmer, can build a complete house.” Choose one goal and stay with it. Find the big thing you want to do, move slowly in that direction, and take those who also need healing with you. That has a lot of influence.
Pierce Brosnan’s Wife Stuns People With Her Transformation During Her Latest Appearance
Pierce Brosnan’s wife, Keely, left fans stunned during her latest red-carpet appearance alongside her star husband. The 60-year-old beauty looked completely transformed, prompting the comments section to be flooded with remarks about her new appearance.
The former James Bond actor, 70, and his wife of 23 years, Keely, looked as stunning as ever as they attended the 2024 Oscar Wilde Awards in Santa Monica. The duo appeared sleek and elegant, coordinating their outfits in black ensembles from head to toe.
Countless fans gushed over how gorgeous they both looked and showered the couple with compliments, such as «They’re aging naturally, and they both look great, good for them,» and noting that «They look so nice together. Love that they’ve been together so long.»
Fans in large numbers couldn’t help but point out that Keely has «lost a lot of weight.»
One person noted, «Whatever she’s doing, she needs to keep doing. A really pretty face showing through now, and I bet she feels better too.» Another commentator wondered, «I thought she had a disease where she couldn’t lose weight? Anyway, they look great!»
The couple who met in 1994 and married in 2001 has one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and long-lasting relationships. They have two sons together, Dylan and Paris.
Keely, once a model and actress with roles in both television and film, transitioned into an on-air correspondent. Utilizing her platform, she champions environmentalism and animal rights.
We can all acknowledge that Keely Shaye has consistently looked stunning, regardless of her body size, and alongside her star husband, they make a captivating couple.
A few months back, during Pierce’s birthday celebration, he demonstrated his true gentlemanly demeanor when spotted out with his wife and mother-in-law.
Preview photo credit Mario Mitsis / Alamy Stock Photo, Charlie Steffens/AdMedia/SIPA/East News
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