Photos

We have frantically been running around sprucing up the house and getting it all ready for our daughter's birthday party coming up soon. I realized that I had a total of four photos hung up in the entire house. The funny thing was that I had a million photos just sitting on my mantel in a pile waiting for new homes. I didn't have homes for them so I just left them in a pile and every couple months or so I would order some more photos and just place them right back in that pile. Until now....
I finally just broke down and bought a bunch of cheap gallery frames and am slowly putting them up on the walls. It's remarkable what a photo will do to your house. It makes it come alive with memories. It makes that house finally feel like a home. Slowly but surely our house is coming around to being a home. Sometimes all the house needs are walls full of photos that tell a story. Our story.

Restored Floors!

I have been really wanting to sand down and refinish the hardwood floors in the house. I ripped up the carpet months ago and just waited for the day when my husband would say yes! Well that day happened this past week and now we finally have refinished floors in the living and dining room. We are saving the playroom for another day and the upstairs were not damaged like the downstairs so we are just going to refresh those in the future. 

{During the sanding process}

{After the first coat of poly}

 {After second coat of poly}

 {After third coat of poly}

I'll have to find a before picture of the wood floors. They were so damaged. I'm talking major water stains, deep scratches, spray paint on the floor. They were a MESS! But all it takes is a little sanding, some stain, and a couple coats of poly and ta-da!!!! Fresh floors :) We have heard horror stories about refinishing the floors yourself and let me tell you.... it wasn't nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be!

Fence Project

The fence project is finally complete. We now have a fenced in backyard for those three crazy pups and that adventurous baby! No more finding "accidents" in the house...The fence is definitely an upgrade. They were all so used to going out for as long as they wanted at the last house and they just didn't know how to deal with their limited outdoor time here. 

I know this photo doesn't show a ton of the fence but we have a line of trees on one side that kind of hides the fence a bit! It looks like such an improvement when driving by the house. No more rental yard!! We actually finished putting up the fence a few weeks ago but haven't gotten around to staining it so hopefully we will get that done soon. Did I forget to mention how private it feels now? Having a corner lot on a busy street definitely makes having an open yard super public! Yay for privacy!!!

Before Home Tour

I am sure from all the horror stories that you read about in the first post, you are now curious to see the before pictures of the house. Our house is one in progress production. We have power tools and paint brushes located all throughout the two floors. We live in this mess with three pups, a cat, and a 9 month old baby! It is always a fun time to try to locate the baby to ensure that she is not getting into a "work area". Parents are usually worried about their baby not putting their fingers in the outlets and we are over here trying to keep the baby away from the tac boards! (We finally got those up and thrown away!! Yay!!) Here are some crappy mobile photos of the house before we moved in this past year.

 

 

 

 

These photos are a little terrifying and most likely the reason that the house had been on the market for awhile. It makes me sad to think that nobody really wanted the house but at the same time we get to bring this beauty back to life one project at a time! The bones of the house are amazing. Look at that molding! Seriously, I don't get people's want for brand new houses! Ummm..you can turn this into an amazing home that already has quality materials (that have held up for 100+ years)! I'll try to get a few progress photos in the coming week. These photos scream POTENTIAL, folks! Have you ever bought a house that is full of potential but outsiders might think you are a little bit crazy?

4th of July

Happy 4th of July! (Well a day late anyway) We took a break from all our home projects just to relax and celebrate with friends and family. The 4th of July is always so memorable to me in that it is almost like a summer thanksgiving. Instead of turkey, we are passing around the burgers, hot dogs, and barbecue. Family and friends all gather together to be thankful for this country we live in while we soak up the summer sun. Little parades and festivals fill the towns, while everyone is sporting the red, white, and the blue. Children run around with sparklers and try to write their names in the air. Adults run out to the road to set off some bigger fireworks as it gets darker. The 4th of July always brings everyone together no matter how different their backgrounds may be to celebrate this free country we live in and it always feels like a magical night.

We enjoyed some time with family and friends during the 4th! This was Caroline's first 4th of July so we let her stay up extra late to enjoy the fireworks at the park. Of course, she didn't mind the noise but she also wasn't that interested in watching the fireworks either. Maybe next year they will catch her attention a little more!

 

 

Do you have any fun traditions to celebrate the 4th?

Welcome

Welcome to Restoring Jackson! It all started a few years back when we were searching for our first home. We fell head over heels in love with old homes. Although the first search ended with buying a cozy, 1920s bungalow, we ended up outgrowing it in a few short years when I became pregnant.

We spent a good four years at our first home but soon realized that we must start looking for a bigger house because we were busting at the seams. It was such a great decision but so bittersweet because we got married in our living room and it is where we brought Caroline, our first little one, home!

 

Here is a little peak at what we upgraded to space wise! It of course needed much more work than our first house but the payoff would definitely be worth it in the end!

On our search for our second home, we found a decent sized Victorian that needed some loving.(Excuse the bad mobile photo!) It had been a previous rental when we were looking at it and of course the good, old "renter's yellow" paint color was covering most walls, ceilings, and even some trim! The floors were partially covered with  mismatched carpet galore and there was a drop ceiling over the kitchen. The aluminum siding had much of the paint chipping off and there were some settling issues with the house. It had no air conditioning, old wiring, and even some yucky vinyl floors. The garage door was falling apart, the roof would need replaced in the next few years, and the gutters were a mess. After all the problems we discovered, we purchased the house anyway! Why? Without us it would have continued to deteriorate until it was torn down. 

This house needed people who understood the quirks and saw past the horrendous "updates" to dig up the historic charm. It needed people who would make it a home again not just a shelter. It needed someone who would care for it and make it whole again. It needed us. Join us on our journey of Restoring Jackson!

xo

Natasha