coming home...

Last week I shared part 1 of our home's  story;  


part 2 gets even more interesting.


Girls, this really is a  true story


I couldn't make this up

It is a tale of yard sales....our favorite kind, right?

this is our house circa 1912

The  next photo that we have 


taken in the 40's

 shows

the gable end gingerbread had been  removed.

~
~
~

We looked everywhere for it:


in the chicken coop,

in the barn stalls,

in the loft of the barn

but there was no gingerbread to be found.






This is where it gets really good

Shortly after beginning the exterior makeover

we were having a yard sale of our own

My Mr. was talking to our neighbor, Arlene,

(my favorite go-to  junque' lady),

about how we really wished we

had the original gingerbread .


Or any gingerbread.

She said" I have some gingerbread that I bought

at a yard/barn sale down the road a few years ago.

Would you be interested in it?"


Heck ya, we'd be interested.


You have to understand 


that there are only a few old houses here


and most of them are plain farm houses 


without much architectural features.


We don't have salvage yards 


so when someone says they have gingerbread...


you'd better jump at it.

We headed on down to her place

(ran is more like it!)

She had 3 gable end pieces...

How much?

"$300.00 for all 3 pieces..."


or here's a better deal  yet


how about $100.00 


plus 

some of your  junk that you're trying to sell."

SOLD!

We took it home

and 


couldn't wait to put it up!

Here's My Mr. is heading up the ladder with it.


Yes, I know it's dark


we're impatient like that

You are not going to believe this,


hmmm...

The nail holes in the gingerbread  


and 


the nail holes on the house


are matching up!

Q-U-I-C-K


Dig out the old photos...

You guessed it

It is the original  gingerbread!

The barn where Arlene found these




burned to the ground

shortly after Arlene bought them!

Now, doesn't that just give you goosebumps?!


linking to:

words of grace...

On those days of struggle: 
disappointment, insecurities, unmet expectations, judgement, uncertainties...days like today... 
I remember this:

For we are God's workmanship,  

created  in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared  in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:9

my lady's story...

Since, we're on the subject;


we are on the subject? 

and while  we're waiting for  paint


I'll  re-post the story of my lady...

We found the house

about 11 15 years ago.

She was unoccupied, neglected, had a dead lawn


but oh, the possibilities...you do see her great  bones?


We were itchin' for a new project.

circa 1996

 Off to the courthouse, went my Mr.,


 to research the owner.  

He called her to see if she was willing to sell. 

She said NO ( she had been giving quite a few  no's, she had had many offers) 

Mr. did NOT like that answer:)

So he asked "WHY"?

"there is too much junk 


(what's a little junk?)

and 


the house would take too much work

 (what's a little work?)

to get it ready to sell"

How about if we do that? We'll buy it "as is"?

You would do that?



You betcha' we would.  


And we did.

After seeing this there

was

NO 

turning back

Well, junk is right...


the whole house and


all 3 outbuildings were full!


some good junque'


but mainly just junky-junk


3 yardsales later we were ready


to start working on our treasure.


A little work?


umm, maybe just a little...


We did inside projects first, like the kitchen and bathroom

the Mr. and the girl young-in

finally, 5 years later
we were ready to begin her major face-lift

She had been *updated* with


aluminum siding, 


aluminum side-sliding windows, 


her porches  had been enclosed, 


and her 


gingerbread was missing.

Her original glory days

 We uncovered it all

installed  new wood windows

uncovered porches

added the gazebo

added a turret

and made her  into our dream home.

Next week,  


I'll tell you the story about the gingerbread trim-

Now there's a  story!

I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am

as we've been working on this beauty

we've discussed

in total exhaustion

the amount of work 


(wasn't I the one who thought what's a little work?)


 it takes to keep this place  up

it is so big

but 


then


 I see these pictures

and 


I see her with fresh eyes.

I see where we've come from

and


I see the 

pictures of my children 


who  helped us to get where we are.

It makes me cherish her all the more.

Do we love her enough to keep her and to working?

for now,

YES

God has provided us with this wonderful place

to raise our family,

to make memories with our grandchildren,

and 


we will never run out of projects.

What could make a girl happier?

Yes, she  is indeed

my

Home Sweet Home


 linking to:

what's new...

look what's new at our place

meet annie

she is a doxiepoo
annie-poopoo

the girl young-in used her  hard-earned sale money

 to get her

and is doing all midnight potty outings
and inside potty oopsies

we have never had an inside dog before
almost as fun as a toddler in the house
almost

she is the sweetest thing

and that is coming from a NON dog person.

she just might change my mind...

not all residents are pleased

just tolerant

a purse dog, 
who woulda' thunk?

I do believe she's stolen our hearts

and the whites have it...

your  votes are in

white: 50

beige: 5

other: 2

darn, 

I should have done one of those little polls on the sidebar; 

I've always wanted to

on datenight

we took one last spin

in the old neighborhood

to search for a color

we do know how to have a good time, don't we?

this was my favorite in the beige/tan colors

but nothing to get too excited about

we spotted this pretty little lady 

turret heaven

and I found this image on pinterest 

Yes, I've been dabbling a bit,  on pinterest

(just what i need is another place to get lost out there)

(my friend Becky's house that I just adore)

and this one on Facebook 

(thanks, Debbie)

yes, these make my heart skip a beat

so, white it shall be

 here we are as of 

Saturday A.M.

come on, hurry, isn't it ready, yet (kindof like are we there yet?)

paint already, will you...there can't be more loose paint, 

can there?

I don't sound like an impatient kid, do I?

and...Saturday afternoon

this is just primer

our trial run to see what we think

we are now discussing minute amounts of colorant

to get just the right shade of white

oh, brother.c.r.a.z.y.

come on back later in the week

I am working on a post showing the progress and story of our gal

and 

you just have to see what else is new here...


linking here:

links on sidebar