Fully Furnished

My first offer on the house was not accepted. When I received the counter offer, it was a little more than I had in mind. Then....I had a thought! The former owners had not used the house in years and it was full and I mean full of antiques and "stuff". I agreed to accept the counter offer as long as they left everything in it. I had zero expectations that they would agree. I mean....who sells a house these days fully furnished with antiques. Well....this seller did. Not only did I get the historic river home, I got all of the "stuff"

I am so excited about this at first but then reality sits in again. What in the world am I going to do with all of this? This furniture isn't my taste and I have no idea what some of this stuff is! So a side adventure with this house, is discovering what some of these items are and how they were used. We have had several history lessons and have met new people how told us the stories of these items.

Look at these beautiful pieces.... I have found loving homes for a few things but still have so much more. While I do appreciate the history of these pieces, they are just not my style. We needed to get the items out of the house so we could start the renovations. Right now, everything is in storage but an estate sale is in my future....

Demo Day 1 - Plaster removal is not for the faint of heart

So now I have keys.....what is next? I wish I could say that I had a plan and all of the answers. The truth I was hit with the hard reality of the lack of HGTV reality. Chip? Joanna? anyone.....?

I am a list maker...lists, list and more lists. The easiest way for me to get my head wrapped around this house is making a "few" lists.....a list of the overall needs and lists of what each room needs, a list of what I need a contractor to complete and a list of what we can DIY. Now to prioritize....what is the most important, necessities v. wants and my non-negotiables. Believe it or not, all of this helped; I have somewhat of a plan now. Moving forward, I will be referring to the house as the North side, South side, Middle and Upstairs. This keeps it organized for me....using the same reference with all of the contractors also keeps things in perspective.

Patience is not one of my strong suits but over the years, I have internalized the idea that I am on God's time not my time. I have reassured myself of this simple concept so many times that it has become part of my soul. I do not question Him or the bumps, struggles or barriers that I encounter; they are His to put in my path. BUT while I was waiting on the HVAC technician, plumber and electrician to be scheduled, I had to do something! The kitchen it is.....

The kitchen cabinets were honestly not in the bad of shape but those purple counter tops....neither were my taste. The kitchen is a non-negotiable for me! I love to cook....I want room for my family in the kitchen....and most importantly, I want a pot filler!

With the age of this home, every room has a fireplace that was used to heat the home. Currently none of the fireplaces work but they are beautiful focal points. The one in the kitchen was covered with drywall and plaster. The mantle was painted to match the purple counter tops but it is original to the house so of course I am saving this! 

There isn't much a transformation to see right now but removing everything from the kitchen gave me a better idea of the size and potential of the room.

The next two pictures show the view of the kitchen from the living room. Yep....that's purple! Look at that beautiful window looking out in the yard. I couldn't ask for a better view while doing the dishes. For me, doing dishes is relaxing and I walk away feeling accomplished so yes I am excited for this! By the way, the dishwasher will be right beside my sink. I also feel relaxed and walk away feeling accomplished from drinking wine.....🍷It's all about balance....

Now I love islands mostly tropical with pineapple and coconut flavored drinks but this island....no words. It is massive and purple....did I mention the kitchen is purple? Saying goodbye to this for an island more proportional to the room.

Another view of the kitchen looking out the side window and the refrigerator and pantry on the other end. Hey Paisley! 👋 Isn't she a cutie...she is still figuring out this house. I am not sure if she will get along with Elizabeth 👻

     

     

    

Now that the kitchen has been emptied, I am starting to get a feel for the room. I can see the new layout. The sketches have started....The house has two back doors so that leaves me the option to brick in the one to the kitchen and have more counter space. The stove and range hood will be relocated from the island to the space where the refrigerator is now.  As I am typing this, I just realized I only took one picture of the kitchen after the cabinet removal 🤷 I can add more later but you get the idea!

I didn't intend to uncover the fireplace because honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into. But entire point of this house was to finally take a risk so in keeping with that theme.....hammer down as my son would say! The fireplace before with all it's drywall and purple paint....whatever is under there has to be better than this. 

I started on the bottom just to see what was behind that drywall. I knew it wasn't plaster because it was hollow....this is easy! And it was. It didn't take long to uncover some "lovely" blue brick. The mantel is original to the house so I definitely want to restore it. I was worried about removing it without damage, With a little crow bar and a hammering, it came off seamlessly with no damage...Thank you Jesus ☝

Now that the mantel is off, you can see why the fireplace was filled in. The brick is sagging and the chimney was probably falling in at one point. The brick was added to reinforce it.

Slowly but surely, the plaster came off. I assumed there was drywall at the top just like the bottom. I was wrong! I have never removed plaster but how hard can it be? Really hard....that's how hard! It is so messy and heavy and you know what's fun? Plaster dust in your contacts and pieces of plaster in places well let's just say that tank top was not the appropriate attire.....

Finally you can see this "beauty" Yes yes....I know its dirty, the brick is sagging and it looks junky. You see that but I see 200 years of getting that "just right" look. I can see it now.....restored white mantle with maybe cast iron skillets or a Gather sign above it. This is part of the charm and character of this house. You accept its quirks and imperfections, you don't try to change it to suit your needs and you respect the story of how it became its current self.That sounded a lot like relationship advice....oh well...it was good advice!

Here is she is.... The circle at the top, we assumed was a pipe....it isn't. It's a clay pot used to gather ashes. Scott, my favorite mason, would know what to do! A few days after this demo, Scott came down to work on the trees. I had a few days to think about it so I had made up my mind that I wanted the blue brick removed, the fireplace reinforced and the chimney opened. I explained all of this to Scott and he looks at me and says "Well, you're crazy. You cooking in that fireplace? You have more important things to spend your money on." Yes Scott....you are right! "You're going to clean that with a wire brush, I am going add a few bricks and tuck point a few places then that's it." Yes Scott....you are right. He is only man alive that has ever gotten me to say those words twice in two sentences. He has no idea of his accomplishment 😃

Love makes you do crazy things....

As soon as I walked into this house, I fell in love with it! Floor to ceiling windows, hardwood floors, the history,  the character....it stole my heart ❤❤  But like all good love affairs, you have to take the bad along with good and ride the roller coaster of the ups and downs.....

Now that the offer has been accepted, it was time to make sure that this little beauty wasn't going to fall down the first time Rylann bounced her volleyball off of a wall.....home inspection time! I had no idea where to begin or who could do this home inspection. This isn't an ordinary house, it's 200 years old and an update has been attempted. Not a good one, I may add, you can tell that from the massive hole in the floor (more on that later...)

Before I tell you about my home inspection, let me back up a minute and talk about my loan officer aka my friend and mortgage queen Lora Beth Sadler with First National Bank. My very first memory of Lora Beth was when i was sitting in Mrs. Perkins' 7th grade English Class.  This much "older experienced" girl in the 12th grade came to to my class to practice her FFA (that's Future Farmers of America for you urban peeps) speech about being a good leader. Now, I can't tell you exactly what she said but I can tell you that the concept has stuck with me over the years. So kids, listen to those "older people" in your life, something may stick and you won't even know it! Years later I had Lora Beth's daughter in class and them we became fellow church members. We have taught Vacation Bible School together and wrangled up a lot if kids in our time. Naturally when I decided to refinance my house, I turned to her. Lora Beth's first question was "Do you want to stay in your house?" Of course I do! I am never leaving this little house....I scrimped and saved for this house after my divorce...this is our home...I have decorated every inch of it....my kids grew up here.....    Fast forward one year later... "Hey Lora Beth, i put my house on the market after I cleaned it and it sold in 10 hours" 🤷   Again, she came to the rescue! I knew it was time to follow a dream and buy a fixer upper. For 10 months, she offered advice and even kept an eye on the market for me. When it was time to choose a home inspector, Lora Beth recommended someone she had worked with the past. Her leader speech was on point and boy can she put on a good VBS so of course I am following her advice.

I can't sing the praises of this man enough....well I can't sing at all...just ask my kids,,,,they have shushed me in church. Hey I am only following the Bible....the book of Psalm says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord right? I tried that line once and one of my kids who I won't name (Blaire) told me there was nothing joyful about that noise...🙉 Anyway, back to the home inspector. If you live anywhere near Northern Kentucky, John Lawson is your guy! He was meticulous. He looked at every nooky and cranny of the house, walked me through everything and even ranked his recommendations....Must do, should do, may want to do.... Now I know that is his job but his knowledge of historic homes was more than I could imagine. His delivery was also on point... a nice mixture of this is bad with but this is in great condition. Thanks John....I love roller coasters! 

So the ups.... the roof, the plumbing, the floors, the walls
The side way turns....the windows, the electric
The downs.....trees growing out of one wall and a buckled foundation. Yes, you read that correctly...
🌳🌳🌳🌳

Are you thinking I am crazy yet? No worries... I thought the same...I still do...depends on the day.

After reading the 51 page home inspection report (about 10 times) it was time for the structural engineer. Everything about those two words sounds pricey. Great...here we go...already a money pit! Did I mention that I bought the house As Is??? What can I say....love makes you do crazy things!

Back to John....He recommended a structural engineer that he had worked with in the past. Craig has inspected older homes before. Much to my surprise, the foundation is in great condition! Yes it is buckled in a few places but it is solid.  I learned from Craig that with rock foundations, the rocks will shift before they settle. Under the front window, there is a significant buckle. If it was affecting the foundation and/or still shifting, the floors would be uneven. The floors are perfectly level! The buckle in the foundation could be fixed but it doesn't have to be. That little buckle under the window and the slightly crooked window will stay.... If I had wanted a perfect house, I would have built a new one. That little buckle comes with a lot of character....kind of like me! And let's be honest....most of us have a little buckle sticking out somewhere. So if you come to see my house, don't point out it's buckle unless you want me to point out yours 🤣

There's the buckle, bow, budge, bump....whatever you call it, it isn't straight!

Now, I love a good tree house. I have always wanted one. The thought of having this little private space where I could see everything but at the same time be alone is very appealing to me. BUT the idea of living in one is not so appealing.... Yep....I just bought a 200 year old tree house as my daughter lovingly refers to it.  I prepared myself for this.... I knew this would be it. I can fix the wall and nothing else...sorry Rylann....do you really NEED electric, air and heat in your room....now you're just being spoiled....  I may have made this sound worse than it is. The trees are not growing out of the ground; they are growing out of the mortar. 200 year old mortar was made from sand, dirt and water so it is common for older homes to have issues with the mortar. The bricks have to be removed, the tree removed then the bricks put back. Easy peasy...let me find a good YouTube video on that and I will have it fixed in a jiffy....

My sweet little tree house.....they give it a bit of character, don't you think?

Enter stage right....the historic mason...Another recommendation from John. Scott has worked on historic homes and churches for years. John has seen his work and he knew Scott was the guy for the job. Scott and I talked for about a week before I met him last week, Now while I would love to share Scott's story, it is not my story to tell. I will tell you a few things., he is the guy for the job, the wall will be perfect and I trust anything he says. When John referred Scott, he told me he was a "bit of a character." John and I must have a different definition of the word "bit" but nonetheless, I could not have been happier to meet Scott. I am hoping that once he starts work and I explain to him what a blog is, you will get to know this colorful character more. If not, let me leave you with this.....

Martin Luther King Jr said...do not judge by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

Walt Whitman said...be curious not judgmental

Mother Teresa said...if you judge people you have no time to love them

And most importantly, the Bible tell us in the books of Matthew, Luke, Romans, Ephesians and James that is not our responsibility to judge others. John 7:24 tells us "Do not judge by appearances...." Titus 3 tell us "to show perfect courtesy toward all people"

While we all may look different, have different levels of education, have different relationship statuses, different families, love differently, speak differently, have different manners, different skills, different beliefs....there is one thing that connects us all.....we all have the ability to love and spread kindness. I encourage you to focus on your ability to love, uplift and accept others.....

Stop right there with the thought that I am preaching at you....I fail Him daily. I am just grateful that on the day I met Scott, I opened my heart to listen to his story including his successes and struggles. I am blessed that my home has been touched by Scott's God-given skill and the love for his trade.

Monday is closing day and the work will begin........

Who is the "Her"???

When I typed the first post, I was typing it as if everyone that read it knows me. But if this crazy thing happened and someone who doesn't know me actually reads my blog!

So a little bit about the Her in Historic Home for Her.... No need to grab a glass of wine to prepare for some whirlwind story. My life and history are simple but nonetheless, it is MY story and has led me to the person I am today and I like her!

My stats

• Three children referred by themselves as "My Dream Team"
• Three college degrees
• Two divorces (I know you noticed the pattern of three but I am not going for three on this one 😃)
• One amazing career
• One Labradoodle  - I am sure you learn more about Paisley later. She runs the show
• A small circle of friends that I wouldn't trade for anything. At 46, you learn that friends are definitely about quality not quantity
• A love for cooking
• World traveler and by that I mean I WANT to be a world traveler but for now I settle for short trips and experiences
• And now one large historic home to renovate

If you don't know anything about Kentucky, it is a beautiful state with green rolling hills, mountains and lakes. We love horses, basketball and of course bourbon. Well my 21 year old daughter loves bourbon; she's an old soul. Sorry, I digress..... back to Kentucky. In the northern section of Kentucky, along the Ohio River, lies Gallatin County. It is one of the smallest counties in Kentucky and was named for Statesman Albert Gallatin. I am a bit of history nerd so you are going to see those fun facts occasionally. 

I grew up in Gallatin County. I left for college and returned to teach. Married, had children, etc...I am a private person. You wouldn't think that since I am writing a blog but some things are off limits. I will spare you and myself the tale of two divorces. The first in 2003 and the second in 2011. All I can say, is that I learned a lot about myself as a person, a mom, a friend and some hard life lessons as well. While there are several things I wish I could do over, I also believe in God's Plan. He led me through those experiences. My job isn't to question it is to have faith and trust Him. So carry on God....what's next 🙏

Back to my stats... My children are my great successes. They are not too big of fans of me talking about them on social media. I can't even imagine the backlash of a blog.... To keep them happy, I will say little. 

• My son Brandt is 24. He works at a utility company in electrical maintenance. He owns his own home. Ironically, it is the house his dad and I used to live him and he is fixing it up. I never thought I would be in that house again.... funny how life works. He loves tattoos and truck pulling... I know, I know....what is truck pulling? Google it...it's too much to type and that is his thing with his dad. Do the tattoos bother me? No...not at all! He bought me a shirt once that says "I love my tattooed son". There could be worse things right? You learn to pick your battles. Those tattoos have little to do with his character. 

• My oldest daughter Blaire is 21. And what I could say about her! I call it Second Child Syndrome. I could go on and on but she has given me some of the scariest and saddest moments of my life and also some of the proudest. She is a Specialist in the 101st Airborne Division with the Kentucky National Guard and  also a University of Kentucky student.  In February 2018, Blaire was deployed to Afghanistan for 10 months. Longest 10 months of my life... She is fiercely stubborn and independent.. I am often reminded by family and friends that she comes by that honestly. I wish I was as cool as she is....
  

• My youngest daughter  Rylann is 14. I thought the third time maybe a charm but it turns out she's just as big of a handful as the older two! I say that lovingly....she's a dime. Rylann was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when she was 6. She has a strict medical regiment to keep it under control. She handles her diagnosis with acceptance and grace. Even when she is in pain, you would never know it. She plays volleyball, basketball and tennis. She also manages to play the largest tuba known to man! Not really but it seems like it. I have no idea how she marches while carrying that thing. I never hear her complain or use her diagnosis as a crutch. She has such a great attitude....I want to be like her when I grow up!

As you can see, I have spent most of my time as a mother as a single mother. I didn't do it completely alone with the first two but Rylann is all mine. Let's just say some people should not be parents and leave it at that. I have spent countless hours at soccer, football, and baseballs fields and on basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. My children have always come first. I can't say that I had the best childhood so ensuring they had a great one has always been my priority. While I have failed at times, I have always tried my best for them. They are growing up so I am patiently waiting for them to realize that ⏰

After college, I started my career in education as a teacher in Gallatin County Schools. I worked for 17 years in the classroom teaching grades from Kindergarten to 8th grade. In  2014, I accepted a position as the Chief Information Officer for that same school district. I LOVE my job. It is something I have always wanted to so. In 1983, Gallatin County received its first computers. There was an article in the paper that referred to the computers as "magical machines". With that article there was a picture of me using one. My grandmother always kept newspaper articles about her family. When I started this position, she gave me that newspaper article. (Typing this reminds me that I need to get that framed and hang it in my office. ) I was in love with those "magical machines". After my bachelor's degree in Education, I received my master's degree in Instructional Technology. I truly believe that this is another example of God's Plan. I have come full circle in my career all through His plan for me and I am eternally grateful. I love this small school district and family of staff and students that I work with.

"Me and the Magical Machines"

I love to cook so don't be surprised if you see a recipe here and there. A year and a half ago, I started eating low carbs. I was researching ways to help Rylann control her arthritis naturally. We discovered that gluten and sugar contribute to the amount of inflammation in your body. In April 2018, we started. Honestly, it is not as hard as you think! Let me be specific, we do not do Keto, we do low carb. I don't count anything. We just don't eat bread, pasta or potatoes and we limit sugar. It has to be a special occasion. Blaire loves to comment on my #lowcarblife. I made the mistake of using that hashtag once on Instagram....I am still paying for that. 🙄  

I guess that sums up the "Her" in Historic Home for Her

Oh my.... how could I forget my "favorite child"! Meet Paisley....she's excited about the new house....well maybe... not sure how she will get along with the ghosts....

Let the adventure begin....

I have typed, deleted, thought and retyped this opening sentence no more than 10 times! I have a million thoughts running through my head and have no idea where to start. I have never considered myself a "blogger" but to save my family and friends from having to hear me constantly talk (complain), here I am "blogging"......

So what do I have to say? A lot actually but the event that started this blog was a dream aka huge risk come true. I celebrated my 46th birthday on June 8th and as gift to myself, I signed a contract on a 200 year old historic home "as is" (insert a drink of wine).

Here she is....My beautiful forever home with breathtaking views of the Ohio River. The Payne House was built in 1822 by John Payne whose grandfather was the founding father of Fredericksburg which is now known as our little town of Warsaw.

So what is the purpose of this blog? My scary but exciting adventure on the rehab of this historic beauty plus life as a mom, career, friends, faith, recipes or  whatever comes to my mind. 

If are interested in any of things mentioned above plus remodels, period construction techniques (there are actually huge bolts from one side of this house to another holding is all together) rehab successes and fails, DIY, design and even ghost stories, then join my journey. I would love to hear about your experiences and advice too!  

I have only been on this journey for one week and I have already sat on the porch praying... "God please see me through this"  But look at this view......

My 14 year old says that Instagram is the way to go and no one reads blogs. She may be right but I need to write it while she needs to Instagram it. We are compromising.... Follow us on Instagram at 

https://www.instagram.com/historichomeforher/