Note: This post was originally published here. I can’t believe it’s been three and a half years since we bought our house!
Foreclosures can be messy and difficult, and they are sure to test your patience. But the end result could be all worth it. For us, the house being in foreclosure was what made the deal. Simply put, we could never afford the house had it not gone into foreclosure.
Today I’m bringing back an oldie but a goodie. Even though this project happened well over 2 years ago, it’s still one of my most popular posts. So if you’re into home renovations, DIY projects, and vintage tubs, or if you just want to see a fun transformation, check this out.
Restoring an old tub was actually way easier than I thought! When we decided to install a “baby” clawfoot tub in the upstairs guest bathroom, we found an old, very dirty, rusty tub that fit the bill. We discussed several colors, but ultimately decided to keep it simple and go with black. We figured it’s easier to change out shower curtains and bath linens than to repaint a tub!
It took us 2 years, but we finally got our flagpole up on July 3rd…just in time for America’s birthday! Now more than ever, I feel it’s important to show solidarity and unite as a nation. I’m proud to hang this flag.
It saddens me to see people make a call for unity, and in the same breath condemn anyone who disagrees with them. When did opposing opinions turn to hate? It has become acceptable, and in many cases expected, that we attack a person’s physical appearance. Or family. Or intelligence. We say things that are hurtful, things that can’t be taken back, and friends turn against each other. No one wins.
All of this to say, be kind. Differences of opinion are actually wonderful. It’s how we all grow. But don’t lose sight of humanity. As Sandy Dahl said after 9/11, “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”
Can you believe that Memorial Day is next week?! How is summer here already? We haven’t even gotten into the 90s yet, which seems odd here in NC. Usually we’re all pretty sweaty by the end of May! But I’m not complaining.
We’ve gotten a lot accomplished in our backyard this spring, and I’ll be sharing those updates with you soon. One little project that we actually just started this past weekend was a small patio for our grill. We love our two-story porch on the back of our house, but there isn’t much room for grilling. And I don’t think placing a grill on a 114-year-old wood porch is the best and safest idea anyway!
Have you ever tried Airbnb? You can find rentals in just about every city, ranging from rooms in a shared apartment to entire 10 bedroom mansions. You can book a place for a night or two, or extend your stay for months at a time. The possibilities are endless!
We tried our first Airbnb when we went to DC for our anniversary a couple years ago and absolutely loved it! We stayed in an industrial style loft in the middle of Georgetown, and could walk to all the local restaurants and shops.
While helping out with the tour of my in-laws’ house this week, I heard several people make the comment that a brick house is a lot easier to maintain than a house with siding. I’ve never owned a brick house, but I’m guessing they’re probably right. After less than 3 years, we’ve already got lots of paint peeling off. We’ve basically accepted that we’ll have to have our house painted about every 10 years. But because we did our restoration in such a way that we could get our state’s historic tax credits, we had to keep the original materials.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love love love our house. And those tax credits (worth 30% of our total restoration cost) make a huge difference. But I can’t help but wonder sometimes if going with a more durable material would have been a better choice.
