roof – Edges Like Sea Glass

Monday marks my first anniversary in the little Franklin house. The time has flown by and I can’t believe how much has been done and how much is still left to do! To celebrate the survival of this past year, I want to show you some before and after pics. Let’s be honest, it’s no Better Homes & Gardens, but these pictures represent tons of work and love showered onto a little piece of land. I’m also thankful to Rob for all his help every step of the way, none of these transformations would have happened without his support. His time, patience, blood, and sweat have been poured into this place, and I really can’t adequately thank him enough for putting up with my insanity. So here’s what can happen in a year with limited funds and a lot of hard work…

The first project in the house was the bathroom, which was taken right down to the studs and rebuilt. Myrtle is excited. The Bathroom: Before & After

Needed more storage in the bathroom and less oak ugliness. Bathroom Vanity: Before & After

And we can’t forget our friends outdoors. After the sad loss of a bluebird family-to-be, something had to be done. Bluebird House: Before/After

The dining room is still a work in progress. I am planning to add a wall of pallet wood, put down wood floors, and get some more furniture in there. Dining Room: Before & Current Stage

My favorite part of this house is still the built-ins. They transformed a dull room into a library that makes my heart skip every time I pick out a book. Living Room: Before & After

I am so blessed by all the friends who came to visit in this first year. It’s been fun having people come through to say hi, and I am reminded that a house is not a home unless people fill it with love. Guest Room: Before & After

I’m still in the process of making the patio pretty. I removed the gravel next to the shed and am using the space to plant more herbs and small veggies for the kitchen garden. Patio: Before & Current Stage

The side garden has been quite the project because I’m trying to add more perennials, plus annuals I know the hummingbirds and butterflies will be attracted to. I’d also like to put some type of border on here, but I’m not sure what to use yet. Side Garden: Before & Current Stage

And as for repairs…these may not seem like a huge deal because they aren’t cosmetic, but let me tell you, I am so relieved to have these out of the way. HVAC: Before (circa 2000) & After (circa 2013)

Following a nasty storm, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, the roof got a makeover. Roof: Before & After

House: Before

House: After

Kidding! Obviously not my house, but the esteemed Biltmore estate…something to aspire to, eh?

More to come tomorrow, the official one year anniversary!

So today I was going to post a whiny blog about how my heat has not been working, but I’ll save that for tomorrow after it’s been fixed.

Today, I write to you about the wicked crazy storm we had last night. At 3:08 am I woke up to the terrifying sound of a train and immediately thought, “Well this is it, we’re all going to die!” The cats were on the bed, so I closed the door to the bedroom in case I needed to grab them quickly. When I looked out the window the sky was a sickly red color and the huge pine tree in my neighbor’s yard was being tossed around like a rag doll. The rain was coming down in sheets and I thought maybe I saw a witch on a bicycle flying around out there too.

I kept looking back and forth from the cats to the window. Cats. Window. Cats. Window. Do I take them out there and get in the crawl space? Do I run and get the cat carrier from the outside room and risk being blown away? Do we go sit in the bathtub with pillows over our heads? I could grab them both and run. No, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to hold them both. Surely I’d lose one. Which child would I sacrifice to the mercy of the wind?!

Instead I sat on the bed and panicked, occasionally looking out the window and then jumping back from it remembering you’re not supposed to be anywhere near windows in a tornado. The cats looked bored, like I was rudely interrupting a most pleasant nap. After about 10 minutes, it seemed like the worst of it had passed and then the sirens started. Tornado sirens are firehouse sirens that just keep sounding until entire towns are whipped into a frenzy over a possible weather event that may never happen. They are loud and freaky, and now I understand why my German exchange student in high school had a heart attack every time one went off. Thank you, helpful sirens, for wailing so mournfully AFTER the worst of the storm had passed.

This morning, I went outside to find some damage around the house. Large pieces of the next door neighbor’s trees had fallen in the general direction of my side fence and yard. Rude.

And the roof has some damage to the shingles in several places. This is not necessarily a bad thing since my roof is 10 years old and could use a little facelift.

I am sitting around waiting for my heat to be fixed today, so why not have a roofer come too?! It could be like a little maintenance party. One thing to know when you get roof damage in a storm is that the first phone call you make should not be to your insurance company. Have the roof assessed by a roofer, and then they will tell you what will be covered. Then you deal with the insurance company. If this is done the other way around, you will most likely not get the repair you are looking for.

I’m thrilled to be dealing with this lovely little hassle since things had become quite dull around here of late. I’m so very thankful the damage wasn’t irreparable.

Before & After: One Year In The House

Dealing With A Bit Of Storm Damage