March News
Successful Projects
“Wow that looks so NEAT!” A client was working in a bedroom, and invited me to work on the linen closet. We talked about seasonal decor while I folded some items and sorted them on to shelves. Sure it looks nice, but I hope they’ll be able to find the right sizes of things with less frustration in the future. All is clean and ready for guests!
A new client saw a flier at a bookstore and had a glimmer of hope that this odd marks on the ceiling could be addressed by someone trust worthy. It’s hard to find contractors with all the tools who are willing to do small jobs. With some shared resources, I was able to get to the root of the issue here, the spackle, sand and paint the area. I’m so glad to help refresh a wall, because I know it makes a huge difference in daily life when the little things are taken care of.
Available now! Three folks have already benefitted from the service to their garden tools. A new service is ready for you, mobile and convenient. Check out the info below for the Garden Tool Maintenance.
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Professional shows up at your home with supplies, plan for two hours. You provide a gallon of water and whichever tools need attention. The service includes cleaning with soap, rubbing with isopropyl alcohol, and removing rust with WD40. As needed, repairs can be made to tool joints. A metal file will be used to sharpen pruners and shovels. It’s best to work in garages or on porches, but can adjust to your needs and the weather. With any time remaining, I can give some gardening advice, or help with cleaning and organizing other related spaces. The only guarantee is that your tools will be in better shape when I leave.
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Per the service agreement, PWJ asks that clients disclose exposure to illness. We implement masking, ventilation, and physical distance if respiratory symptoms become apparent.
We communicate by text about snow and ice posing challenges to keeping scheduled work sessions. Outdoor work will be limited if temps are below 45 degrees. Progress is important but safety is required!
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Now we work on cutting flowering shrubs for vitality but NOT all of them! Honeysuckle, hydrangea, roses, elderberry, crabapple, snowberry, yucca, birch, and potentilla/cinquefoil. Most fruit trees benefit from a late-winter prune, as do some arbor vitae and holly.
Don’t miss…
I am deeply grateful to know and work with YOU.
Short month, and way too quiet for this business owner, but hey look, a new search-engine-optimized website! I enjoyed the sunshine during the Clean Lake Alliance Frozen Assets festival, even though I couldn’t feel my face at the end. I’ve also been thrilled to leave my coat at home sometimes, to feel lighter when so many things in the world feel heavy. The digitizing project of my family videos is almost finished. It’s time for me to start my garden seeds indoors.
Owner Credentials and Bio
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Julia is a midwestern child of the 90s, and inherited the hobbies of parents including cooking, camping, veg gardening, wood refinishing, repainting bedrooms, playing piano and a few crafty things. In part the hobbies kept us out of trouble, but also instilled a variety of mental and mechanical skills that became otherwise useful. Following tradition, I ventured to college toward a teaching career and found success in this. Along the way, several fabulous mentors provided skills in construction, electronics, painting, and management through producing theatre productions. Collaborating in building stage performance drew out the creative, person-centric, flow of energy that encouraged me to find some professional energy beyond the requirements of elementary education credentials. Summers found me as a waterfront director at a summer camp in northern Wisconsin. Here I honed skills in outdoor work, adaptive recreation, leadership of peers, sailing, pottery, and loved every moment with the kids. Lifeguarding roles clarified my tendency to be prepared and keep safe spaces for all participants. After achieving a graduate degree in education came the search for permanent classroom positions in Denver, then Chicago.
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There’s a richness to life in a city setting, and many people (especially women) have discovered the many rewards of veering from a path well traveled. Mentors along the way provided me with opportunities to appreciate the feeling of jobs well-done, celebrated the wins of going the extra mile in the work, and the thrill of executing another brilliant plan. I served communities as a licensed K-12 teacher for a decade before turning to the nonprofit sector. For seven years in Madison, Julia then supported job-seekers with training and advocacy, and celebrated 74 people finding new first paychecks. This role in social work introduced me the vast needs and resources for households in Dane County, and appreciation for many ways that plans can change to meet a person’s goals. At a turning point with (ex) boyfriend in 2021, I became a first-time home buyer with a condo by Madison’s Tenney Park and put all the mechanical hobby skills to good use. The condo bathroom was moldy so the vanity and floor got ripped out; I laid new tile and build floating shelves from Habitat Restore urban lumber. I installed a pedestal sink, new toilet, and used an epoxy paint to resurface the entire shower. After a good scrub, I painted every square inch of the place, of course. The condo floor was 1949 original and in good (but ugly) condition, so I installed LVP throughout 800 sq ft, along with new baseboards. In 2022, I renovated the kitchen, shopping for all new appliances, designing a couple custom cabinets, and installing a gorgeous glass-tile backsplash. Home is a passion project! Then there came a turning point with career, where diligence was met with coworker resistance, and I decided to capitalize on strengths, launching the LLC in 2023. Self-employment allows me to truly be of service to you! I have been veg gardening in Madison since 2012, love to kayak, volunteer in several organizations, and pop up at free events around town.