Last Leg of the Journey

One of the hallmarks of this home will be all the white-painted tongue and groove original to the house

When I was in high school I struggled with algebra. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why we even needed to know what a or b was in a problem because I didn't have a problem for which that formula was needed; my problems were centered on who liked who and when the next social event was coming up. But my husband has since convinced me that algebraic formulations are key in figuring out some things in the computer world. Well, since I consider him a computer whiz, I will take his word for it, but I'm still not convinced. Geometry, on the other hand, I dig, and I was quite good at it in class. I have the ability to take a box and see through it to the other sides, and imagine the area of each side of that box standing there empty or filled with something and the ability to take a formula and measure what the area of that space will be; to me, that makes perfect sense and is totally usable. I love geometry and it has helped me in recent years to see beyond the door, beyond the room, beyond the broken down shambles of a house, see what it could be, and put it down on paper. If I have one gift, it is probably that -- being able to see how things will look before they're finished. Maybe it's a gift; maybe not. But I do believe it has been hugely instrumental in my abilities to design spaces and then see them magically come to life.

I said all that to say this: I AM FINALLY BEGINNING TO SEE MY VISION FOR #OUR1892ADVENTURE COMING TO LIFE! It seems that just a short time ago, I was seeing only the same boring, ugly things I had been seeing for going on a year -- old dirty wood, nasty floors, things broken and sad. I have been longing (as you know) for the beauty of a finished project...clean, fresh, beautiful, but it has seemed so long in coming. In fact, I've wondered at times if it would ever happen. And I owe that to my tiredness. Folks, I am tired; I go to bed tired and I wake up tired. The fact that I am at home working on the blog and not at the jobsite tells me one thing -- that I was tired this morning. And if you don't believe that, would hearing that I literally slept 12 hours last night convince you?  I thought so. Plus, we were down to our final underwear so I had to stay home and do laundry. You know you need to do laundry when you have to wear underwear from your thinner days that are a size or two too small. I'm telling you from my heart, friends, this girl is worn slap out. 

So since my underwear conversation is probably a bit too much info, I'll get back to the renovation at hand. We are literally seeing the last stages of this project, and are on the final lap. For the first time in a year, I am beginning to see a beautiful old farmhouse rise up out of the ashes of a neglected home that only God knows what has seen in its 125-year-old history. I just know the person out there who will see the beauty in this gem of a home is looking, just waiting for it to come on the market for them. We have taken the best this house had to offer (a great little floorplan; solid wood construction; history; a gorgeous piece of property in proximity to the best shopping and business in the area to name just a little) and morphed it into a beautiful two-bedroom cottage for living in the 21st century (technologically friendly, luxury amenities; open-floor plan) and it will be the perfect home for a young couple starting a family, a single person, or a couple who are ready to retire and wanting to downsize. If you love history and repurposing and preserving the past, this beautiful 125-year-old farmhouse will fill your senses.  How's that for a precursor for what's to come soon? 

The past two weeks have brought those changes that are bringing us closer to completion. The heart-pine floors have been completely sanded, stained, and finished. The painting and trim are well under way. We are beginning to put up the lighting that has been patiently living in storage for over a year now, including a chandelier in the master suite that just about drove me and the hubs to the nuthouse during installation. Plans are in the very near future to host a reveal and an open house. We are truly on the road to being finished.

Sometimes when we languish in the present over our long-term responsibilities, our daily duties, our inabilities to get rested before we have to go at it again, we fall short in seeing how far we've come. It's so easy to forget what we were up against in the beginning and how perseverance and hard work have brought us to a much different  place...to a place we were only dreaming about but are now seeing come to fruition. Sort of like life, right? Life is a long, hard road sometimes, but we must never lose sight of the goals we have set for ourselves and we must never -- NEVER -- forget how far we've come. I would never try to make someone think that every single little thing has come out exactly how I had imagined in the beginning with this renovation. You know that isn't true just from reading my monthly confessions. There have been changes, setbacks and, most of all, lots and lots of compromise. But isn't that what life is all about? It's the challenges, the hardships, the day-to-day stinkiness of the normal life stuff that molds us into completeness. 

I'll sum it up with this...I'll take a broken down needs-some-love house any day over a brand-new one because it reminds me of how much we all need a second chance. Although, building one from the ground up has recently been added to my professional bucket list, but only time will tell.

In the meantime, I've got to put my painting britches on over my too small underwear... and head on over to the jobsite.

Happy Hump Day, ya'll!
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These 125-year-old fireplaces are still awaiting their makeover

Finished and beautiful!

For the very first time, I had to replace my gloves! #hardworkishardonthehands #keepyourhandsoffmynewgloves

Semi-finished barn door waiting for installation

I would've liked to have left the floors raw but would be too scared to walk on them (splinters!!) Plus, poly is a must for longevity and wear and tear

View from the hallway to the front door...trim underway!

The carefully selected wood for a barn door, drying from a power wash

Sneak peek into master bath where blue gray paint is going up cocooning the free-standing tub

Never too busy for fort (more like cabana!) building

Or the braiding of hair...hey, these hands can do more than just clean and cut wood!

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The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
- Eleanor Roosevelt