An Unlikely Farmer's Wife: I'M ONE STEP CLOSER....

TO BEING A MORE "LIKELY" FARMER'S WIFE!

So I have some BIG news for you guys! David and I are currently in the process of purchasing a new house ON THE FARM. This is a BIG...HUGE...deal! It's been in the works for a couple of months, but we weren't sure that we would get it, so I have been keeping it from you all in efforts not to jinx myself! However, the day has finally come that I can yell from the top of the mountain, we are MOVING TO THE FARM!!!!!

For those of you who don't know, we currently live in Campbellsville and David drives back and forth to Lebanon every day, which is where the farm is located. Although it's only about a 20 minute drive, it has at times been difficult. If you're anything like I was, you are probably unaware of the grueling, never-ending hours that farming sucks out of you. There is no 8-5. It's more like sun-up to sun-down if we are being real. This past week has been just short of miserable for us because David has started cutting his tobacco. In you and I terms, this means he leaves the house at 5:30am and arrives back home at 10:30pm if I'm lucky.

So this move is going to be soooo great for David and I am actually pretty excited about it myself! This house is literally surrounded on three sides by the farm. Instead of feeling like he's always gone (well, because he is), I'll feel like he's still at home, working in the back yard...even though he could be "acres" away! He'll be able to come in for dinner some nights, leave a little later in the mornings, & arrive home a littler earlier when he calls it a day. This makes me smile! =)

There's just one small catch. This house is far from my dream home. =( I mean, lightyears from my dream home actually. If you'd asked me a few years ago if I would be interested in buying this house I would have said "hell no" (pardon my french), "not in a million years", "it's not even up for discussion", or probably "are you on crack?". Actually, these words DID come out of my mouth when David brought it up. I know, I'm such a brat. I just never thought the question would turn from hypothetical to reality any time soon. But it did.

Luckily for all parties involved, at some point over the course of the years, I've had an epiphany. Most likely due to the endless lonely single mom nights I've had. Somewhere along the way I started becoming more and more curious about the house. Every time we went to the farm I wanted to drive past it. I found myself imagining what it could be like with a ~~little~~ BIG facelift. I pictured Oaks running across the field to Nona and Papas or running down to the barn to help his daddy feed the cows. I actually started to come around to the idea.

So, much to our surprise, the house is now ours (with the exception of all the paperwork & whatnot that still has to be done). I am really excited, but extremely nervous and anxious about what is to come. When I say this house needs work, I'm SERIOUS. It needs a tremendous amount of work. I believe it was built in the late 1960's and has not been updated since. (GASPING FOR AIR). It has some awesome red, orange, & blue carpets, wood paneling on the walls, lovely wallpaper covering most of what's not covered by paneling (eeeek), lovely linoleum floors, old windows, etc. Oh it's just gorgeous.

I don't even know where to start.

I want to go in and tear everything down to it's bones. We are talking a total, complete, WHOLE HOUSE renovation here. Let's be honest, it's the only way I agreed to live there. I know, here I go being a brat again, but you aren't going to change EVERYTHING about me! I'm just being real. You want the truth. Besides, I'm sure you've already figured this out about me by now. =)

So here's what I need from you...

1. Recommendations on builder/remodelers in the central kentucky area.

2. Interior Designers in the area.

3. Input about remodeling in general. Have you been through this before? I need your advice!

4. Architects/draftsman. I need help with the layout of the house. I want to make the most of the space we have and change things up a bit, but I need some professional opinions.

5. Moral support.

Thank you for your help in advance. Come on now, blow up my inbox.

I know I've been holding out on you, so I'll go ahead and give you a sneak peek into this charming abode. (HA) Keep in mind, these photos were taken in the midst of the previous owner moving out, so expect a little clutter!

Front of the house (obvi). I want to paint the brick, get new windows, new shutters, new front door, landscaping, & possibly add a porch onto the front. Whew. That's just the front. Iphanosia.

Front door. Must go. Beautiful hanging lantern. See ya.

Huge window off of the living room area. (Objects may be LARGER than they appear.) Must also be replaced.

Back left side of the house. Doors enter the mud room/laundry room and the kitchen.

Back right side of the house. Bedrooms and bath.

View of the back yard.

Detached garage. The house also has a one car attached garage not pictured. Garage doors must also be replaced.

The Shop. Would you look at that door? Yikes.

The laundry room/mud room.

Full bath off of the laundry room (thank God). Stinky pants can wash up before ever entering the house. Oh, but how do you like that tile? =)

The kitchen. Props to it for being big. But, now you see it & soon it will be gone. Bye bye cabinets, appliances, countertops, lovely green linoleum, fan, window, etc. I feel the vomit rising in my throat.
NOTE TO SELF: TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

The Living room, entry way, dining, I have no idea what you call it, room. Hellooooo wood paneling, so nice to meet you! Bye bye now.

What you did not see:

*4 Bedrooms (all a decent size with really awful carpet & wallpaper. Let me rephrase: Not my style!)

*Another Full bathroom (also a decent size)

What you did not see because it does not exist:

*Walk-in closets

*Master bath

*Crown molding

*I'm a snob. (oops that wasn't suppose to go there).

So, although you can sense my stress and fear over tackling this beast, I'm really not lying when I say I'm excited to live there. Just not yet.

I will keep you all updated (all 4 of my subscribers! hehe) on our progress. I will be sure to take lots of pictures along the way. I can't wait to compare the befores and afters!!!

In the meantime here is what else is going on in my life:

* Oaks is on week two of daycare. We have both contracted a cold from the other snotty noses in his class. (Inevitable).

*I start Hygiene School in Elizabethtown exactly one week from today (Not Ready).

*I'm trying to get my Jackson Street house in tip-top shape this week so that we can put it up for sale. Oh and by the way, need a house? I have one for you.

406 North Jackson Street. Isn't she cute? ;)

*David has been MIA. "Working like a dog" (as he would say) on the farm, cutting & hanging tobacco. This is the worst part. Actually, I say this, & I will probably say it again when he starts stripping. I've tried to get him to let me help with the cutting, but he's not budging on this one. He says I will chop my leg off. HOWEVER, he did let me cut a few yesterday just so that I could say I did it! Body parts are in tact. And by the way, using that tomahawk thing was so fun! Huuuyahh!

Oh, and I got some GREAT shots of the tobacco. Check it out: