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:

I'm off to make a meatloaf (farmer's request). 

"Don't let your meat--loaf (as David would say)!!" 

Loren

Big changes for Big Boys!

Since my little baby isn't a baby anymore, it's time to start making a few changes. The truth is, he is a toddler now, a big boy...I mean, he's practically a teenager already! So I think it's about time to get rid of the baby-fied, animal/choo choo train bedding & transform his room into something a little more toddler appropriate.

OAKS' ROOM

Currently

Yep, he's still in a crib.

There is just one small problem. He's a boy. Boys always get shafted when it comes to cute clothes, cute rooms, cute toys, etc. I'll go into a children's clothing store and the entire store is pink except for the one little corner towards the back with a hint of blue. It's the same with bedding. It's either sports or superman/too babyfied or too grown up. By the way, If I had a girl, I'd be broke. (Someone was looking out for me when they gave us a boy). The options for cute girl stuff is endless! Not so much for boys.

After searching website after website, I've found some really horrible stuff & a few good things. I am so frustrated that I'm having such a hard time finding something. So, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks! Suggestions on places to find good bedding would be very helpful! Where did you find your stuff?

Here is a bit of my inspiration so far:

I love this lighting by Serena & Lily

Sumba Stool by Serena & Lily

Serena & Lily's George Collection

Vintage cowboy feat by a Domino Decorating Book

Asher by Serena & Lily

 


The vintage cowboy theme is probably my favorite. I love the curtains, which you can't really see very well because this is actually a picture of a picture in a book I took with my phone! There are cowboys and horses on a blue fabric. When I showed my mom this picture she said, "Ummm...you should probably keep looking!" So I don't think she was feeling the same vibe I was feeling!!!

Can you tell I'm loving all things Serena & Lily? I really wish I had known about them before I did Oaks' room that he has now. Anyway, there just really hasn't been anything else that has caught my attention. I am afraid however with Serena & Lily that it's not quite toddler-ish enough. Maybe too grown up? I just don't know and it's driving me BONKERS! So I need your help!

I'm not into the over the top themes like movie themes and things of that nature. I need something that is going to be a little easier on the eye (my eyes) & will grow with him. I can't be changing his room every couple of years. The hubs will not go for that. I kind of like the cowboy/western theme in moderation, sailboat themes are ok, & I'm not completely opposed to sports, but my mind always goes to "tacky" for some reason.

Help me, 

Loren

BIG GULPS AYE?...

So yesterday was a BIG deal. Oaks started school at the Baptist Church. Okay, it's not really school. Let's be honest, he's only 2. It's daycare. BUT it's as close to a school setting as you can get!

We BOTH survived! I didn't get any calls to come pick him up & I even held off until 3pm to go get him  although I had to basically sit on my hands all day to keep from darting to the car & racing to the church.

First Day of School 2011

After having orientation, he was SO excited to be going to school, which was a big relief because I didn't have to convince him it was okay!

So handsome! =)

David & I took him into his classroom & of course he went straight for the toys. We hung out for just a minute & Oaks had already forgotten who we were! So we both told him bye & with no hesitation he said "Bye mom, Bye dad" and they were off to the cafeteria for breakfast.

So excited he couldn't contain himself! So he ran around in the driveway like a wild man.

 I had to take BIG GULPS & hold back the waterworks, but thankfully I didn't cry.

I wasn't really worried about Oaks as much as I was concerned for his teachers. Oaks hasn't really been on much of a schedule up to this point, he's a horrible napper, he doesn't sleep well at night, he has no concept of sharing, & can be a little hard-headed at times (no idea where he gets that). So, needless to say, I was thinking he might be a little difficult.

He proved me wrong though! Ms. Amy said he was great (even after I asked her to tell me the truth). She said he ate great, napped great (WHAT?), & was sooo sweet! I have to admit, this was a proud mamma moment.

Although I wish I could stay at home with him forever, I think daycare is going to be great for Oaks. He is getting to interact with other kids his age & hopefully make lifelong friendships, learning lots about the bible & other great things, & is getting prepared for real school!

Hopefully it wasn't just a coincidence, but last night he slept ALL NIGHT in HIS BED (This is a rare occurrence with him) AND he even told me he had to go potty & went potty like a big boy!

I'm so proud of my little man for being so grown up! =)

So we are on DAY TWO today and hopefully things go as well as they did yesterday. (Fingers crossed).

As for me & what I've been doing....I'm back at it again. Does this mean I have a problem? I think I might just be a gasaholic. Or maybe it just means I have a rotten mouth! Unfortunately this is the last time I'll be getting gassed up for a while. Fortunately, there is no more work to be done! =)

Happy

Arrrgh

The negative side effects of all of these trips to the dentist is that I feel like I'm going to be numb until Friday, I'm talking like I'm kinda special, it looks like I've had a mild stroke, & when I tried to take a sip of my Mountain Dew, it all came rushing back out of my nose. Not fun. 

...WELP, SEE YA LATER!

Gasaholic.

Maggie Fest 2011

"HE REVVED HER ENGINE, NOW WE'RE BINGIN'"

I had the BEST weekend with 22 fabulous girls celebrating my friend Maggie's upcoming wedding in NashVegas. The above quote was our motto for the weekend, in which we sported on t-shirts saturday night. In order to get the full effect, you must know that Maggie's fiance's last name is Revelette & everyone calls him "REV". Now it's clicking, right? Sooo appropriate...AND inappropriate I guess! hehe

Let's just say I may be a little honkey-tonked, bushwhacked, belvedered, & bull-winkled (it's a longer story than you want to hear), but I'm alive and well! I can't hang like I use to, that is a FACT! But celebrating with Maggie this weekend & all of my girlfriends was SO MUCH FUN.

SIDE NOTE: Angie did such a great job organizing the whole thing. It was a total success! Props to her for knowing how to throw a great party! (Take notes as we go in case your planning a bachelorette)

Here is what went down.

Friday night (per Maggie's request) we all dressed up in bridesmaids dresses and went out looking like 27 dresses. The BEST part was a couple of us, including the bride-to-be decided to take it to the next level. Maggie wore a BEAUTIFUL, Glenda-the-good-witch-looking, Goodwill special, aka a wedding dress. Needless to say, she was a hit! To spice up the night, a couple of us clowns set out to look as ridiculous as possible in the most disturbing bridesmaids dresses we could find. Of course, I had to be in on it. And we all had to have stage names. Duh.

Check this out. How did we look? =)

Deb & Glenda. REV is a lucky man! =)

The beautiful bride-to-be (a.k.a. Glenda the good witch)

Polly Pocket & Phyllis

Maggie & I (BTW...How about that hair? I may have to ask Pink Lou Lou to feature my hair on her blog because it's so hot. Hellooooo bangs.)

The crew at the hotel before heading out

Can you tell we had a good time with this? Some of us may have had a little TOO much fun with it!

Anyway...

Our first stop of the night....was a different kind of bar than I'm use to! This was my first experience at such an establishment. It was interesting to say the least...and SO MUCH FUN! Best part of the night...the DRAG SHOW. No joke, these girls were HOT! They had some fierce bods! See for yourself!

My favorite! She could bust a move.

Lindsay (Phyllis), Nicole, & JD (Deb) enjoying the show!

Saturday afternoon we had a shower for Maggie. She got TONS of great stuff that I'm sure Rev will love! =)

The sweetest bride ever!

Opening her lingerie gifts

That night we all put on our Maggie Fest t-shirts & headed to Brewfest. Tons of breweries from all over the country set up booths & we sampled their beer. It was a great time, even if I don't care much for beer. I did however stumble upon a really amazing beer called Woodchuck Summer Cider. It was sooo tasty! It was like Oaks' white grape juice mixed with Champagne. (YUM) I stuck close to their booth the rest of the night. 

We all had such a great time & sparked lots of interest with our t-shirts. Everyone was dying to know what Maggie Fest was. Again, another great idea for the weekend. 

My roomies and I minus one.

Sporting Baby's Breath in our hair in honor of Pace

Having a little drinky drink. 

Bustin' a move

The bachelorette "owling". The best picture of the evening! 

To wrap up the evening, we all learned how to line dance at the honkey tonks

The weekend was a great success! My friends sure know how to throw a good party!!! There were no major melt downs or fights, which is huge! We had some great laughs & enjoyed standing out from the crowd (even if it wasn't in the most attractive way). AND I got to meet some B-town ballers that I hadn't met before & they were so awesome. 

I always have the best time when I get to hang out with these girls. Sadly enough, I don't get to see them often, but they light up my life when I do!!!!! 

Thanks to all my girls for a fantastic weekend! I can't wait to do it all over again for Megan's bachelorette in a few weeks! It makes me so happy to know that I will be reunited with them all many times over the next few months for bachelorettes, showers, & weddings. My heart is so full! =)

Cheers to Maggie for being the sweetest thing ever! And best wishes to the bride-to-be.

Hootie Hoo,

Polly Pocket.