The Downtown Farmhouse

I have two, yes two clawfoot tubs that were left behind. They will one day be a beautiful addition to the house. One of the tubs will be in our Master Bathroom while the other will be in the common upstairs bathroom.

Here is the picture of the one that will one day be in the common upstairs bathroom.

Ok now, close your eyes and picture it

1: clean and the feet actually attached to both sides

2: painted black on the bottom and the feet

3: new sparkling chrome hardware and a beautiful white ruffly shower curtain swooping around it hanging from a beautiful chrome shower surround.

Here is where it will sit on top of vintage hexagon black and white tile.

Come on, I know you have imagination. If not, just keep your eyes closed.

Love,

the girl who will one day soak in this tub, bubbles and all.

23-113 year old nasty,some rotten windows to restore. This is a sample of half of one window.

These two have spent weeks and weeks doing the same thing every day.

They scrape and they sand. They glaze and they paint. Their dedication to the windows has been extraordinary and it’s paying off.

How you ask?

Because they are going back in baby!!!

Here you have, one stunning old window restored back to it’s original beauty.

They have been repaired and restored. They have new glass and new rope that hang the  weights that will allow the windows to raise and lower.

While we will continue being excited, we still have lots to go. You have to start somewhere and we have definitely started. Stay tuned.

Love,

the girl who is sick of wearing a sweatshirt to  work. Come on Spring!!!

The windows have been a big deal since day 1.

The first day I saw the wavy glass, I might have choked up a little.

The first day I saw the mis-matched windows along the whole back I might have sobbed a little.

No matter the emotion, we knew that they would:

#1 be ridiculously expensive and

#2 would be ridiculously hard to restore

However, we have been able to purchase windows for the “little house” so now all the windows match and will allow Mom and Dad to be cozy warm in the winter and super cool in the summer. They also match so well with the original 113 year old wood windows that will stay in the majority of the “big house.” We have had to replace a few of the big house windows too. Naked girls room has 3 new windows, the Master Bath has a beautiful new double window and the laundry room/mud room windows had to be replaced. Thank goodness we were able to restore the original windows or our entire house budget would have been used on windows.

Here are a few before and after pictures of the new windows. I know they may not look like much to you since the siding is pretty shabby and there is still so much to do but let me tell you……….each day we see things changing and definitely for the better!

Just wait until you see the restored old windows. 4 went in today!!!

love,

the girl who gets really excited about the small things.

This is Chris and his family.

Chris has skills.

Steve is the most talented carpenter I know and as we progress on our house, he sometimes needs help. However he doesn’t like to ask for help and has a little issue with control. He knows how he likes things and that’s that. I brought to Steve’s attention that Chris might have the skills to provide some much needed help while he is currently waiting on a new job to start.

Chris comes over and this is the picture he sends me the first day on the job.

My thought was he was taking off a few pieces of rotten siding and replacing with shiny new pieces. OK, well not so much. The whole wall is GONE!!! On the other side of the window is my parents kitchen. Not that you can tell from this picture but you will just have to trust me.

Later in the day when the second shift comes in – that’s me – and after a coat of primer – painted by me – this is what the end of the day looked like. Still a little to go on the top but oh.my.word. Skills.

Two days later, Chris is back. The front porch is on the agenda. As a recap…

The current front porch had 3 doors. The first door on the far right in the picture went to apartment 1, the second door  in the middle went to the stairs to apartments 3 & 4 and the third door on the far left went to apartment 2

currently the door to apartment 2 is boarded up with plywood.

I got to the house around 11:30am this morning and this is what I find. Another wall completely gone. I think there is a pattern. Chris?

But by the end of the day, we have a solid wood sided wall and we are down to two doors!!!

It doesn’t look like much YET but just wait. The front door is supposed to come in next week. We don’t have any drywall but we will have an awesome front door.

I told Chris today that him being there was much more than just a job; he was giving Steve the gift of someone being able to come in and fill his shoes, something that isn’t done often.

Love,

the girl who is thankful for someone else able to swing a hammer, use the chop saw and go higher on the ladder than the third rung.

Each time we have moved the house needed updating. A new floor here, paint some walls there, update the kitchen, add a pool. You know, updating. NOT STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING. I have listened to people who have built homes say how hard it is. In the back of my mind…..”Oh please, I could build 3 houses with my eyes closed, twirling around in a circle and singing the Star Spangled Banner at the same time.” Well I WAS WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG and WRONG.

It’s hard!!!!!!!!!! I pride myself of being able to look at a space and figure out what to do with it. However this house is stretching me. I want to keep the integrity of it being a historic home with charm but I also want the WOW factor. Yes I want WOW.

Oh my word. I have looked at 50 different kitchen countertops and every time I think I find one I like, it doesn’t go with the backsplash I love or the range hood clashes or it’s just plain ugly. Or the best reason would be it cost a gajillion dollars. I have searched Pinterest, Houzz, I have read blog after blog and Google now hates me.

Another big issue is this house is big. When it’s finished, there will be 7 bedrooms and      5 1/2 bathrooms and 2 kitchens. All which need vanities and tile, cabinets and countertops, toilets and faucets. OH MY WORD!!!! Overwhelmed should be my word for the year but noooooooo I chose breathe.

I have tried to take one room at a time and decide what it will look like. However I start looking at pictures and then……..SQUIRREL……..I’m off into another room or paint color or curtain swatch or or or or or or.

I completely know that I have nothing to complain about. I have this great house that will someday be incredible and I can’t wait for that to happen but in the meantime if you see me staring off into space with a glazed look about me, just tap me and say “Naval” because that’s one paint color I am completely confident in.

love,

the girl who WILL choose her kitchen countertops this weekend

P.S.

Remember “Naval” and don’t be scared if this is what I look like

We are planning a wedding.

The big news is…..the wedding is going to be at our house. The house that looks like this.

Yes, all this and a port-o-potty on top of all the rest of the beauty.

Courtney asked if the wedding could take place at the new/old house. Really?? It looks like a crack house or maybe on the demolition list for the city of Ocala. But if she wants it, we are going to do it. I did however, insist to Justin that he CANNOT bring his family by the house noting that this is where the wedding will take place. They will either think he has lost his mind or they will wonder who in the world’s family he is getting involved with.

Since we have been neck deep in renovations on the inside so that we can actually live here someday, there has been conversations about providing some free labor in the yard since the wedding will take place in the backyard.

So these two cuties have been coming over and putting in their time. I am super proud of them and what they are putting forth to make sure that their wedding is a day they will always remember.

No one and I mean NO ONE has cared about the yard in a very very very long time. During one of the cleaning sessions, here is the fruit of Courtney’s labor.

6 beer bottles/cans

a soccer ball

a football

a paint can

and last but not least, a vomit pan from the hospital.

love,

the girl who will soon be a Mother in law.