
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.
Fans are left in awe as Jennifer Garner, former spouse of Ben Affleck, makes a striking appearance in a strapless dress with bare shoulders and an open neckline

Jennifer Garner, the celebrated American actress, stole the spotlight at the premiere of “The Last Thing He Said to Me” in Los Angeles. Garner dazzled in a figure-hugging white dress that accentuated her shoulders and featured a plunging neckline with elegant gold stripes.

To complete her ensemble, she chose gold stiletto sandals, complemented by sparkling diamond earrings and a selection of gemstone rings. Her hair was styled in glamorous, gently slicked-back curls and her makeup was tastefully understated with smoky eyeshadow, a soft lipstick and subtle blush.

The premiere took place on April 14, with Garner taking on a role originally offered to Julia Roberts. Reese Witherspoon, who serves as a producer on the show, was also in attendance, wearing a chic one-sleeved black mini dress paired with sleek black heels. The thriller revolves around a woman’s quest to find out the truth about her missing husband while navigating a complex relationship with her teenage stepdaughter.

Despite her nervousness due to a rigorous selection process and the need to submit multiple letters, Garner portrays a character who, although initially at odds with her stepdaughter, joins forces to solve the mystery. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays her missing husband in the series and Anguri Rice plays her stepdaughter

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