Thankful week: H is for....

Linking up with Bloghoppin' for day 2 of the week of thanks!

Today's letter of the day is H. I'm totally going to cheat and tell you TWO things that I am thankful for that start with H! My home, and my husband. They kind of go together, really, because my husband renovated my home for me. Last year, we set out to buy a fixer-upper. We wanted a house that we could really make our own, and the best way to do that seemed to be to buy a house that basically needed EVERYTHING. Well, we found it! A seriously run down and out dated (but relatively clean) house in our ideal neighborhood. We made an offer, and after some negotiation our offer was accepted! In early August 2013, we signed the papers to set up a closing on September 30, 2013. We were SUPER excited to do everything in the house together. My husband is really handy, and I can follow directions pretty well, so I figured I'd be a good assistant. Fast forward to September 23- just one week until closing. I felt kind of weird and "off" for a few days so I decided to get a test... and.... SURPRISE! We were expecting our first child. :)  There goes the plan to work on the house together! I could do some simple things, but we weren't comfortable with me being around chemicals or construction dust. So, my husband did it himself. Seriously- all by himself! I can't even believe it. It took months longer than expected (we moved in during April break instead of the originally planned Thanksgiving break) and it isn't quite "done" but he has done so much.

I don't have current "lived in" pictures, but I do have some from moving day and construction. I should really get on that... But, I think these pictures say a lot, even without decorations and curtains! This is a seriously tiny sampling of a HUGE 1920s house renovation project. I picked 4 of our 12 rooms to show.

My study..

Before:

You can't tell from the picture, but that trim is a faded light greenish yellow. So bad.

After:

Refinished original 1920s hardwood, some paint on the trim, and some GORGEOUS wallpaper. What a difference! Since then we've also refinished the radiator and put in a radiator cover.

The Kitchen

Before:

During:

Adios, pink and brown tile! I don't miss you at all.

Farther along "during" (I should really work on getting an "after." It's beautiful now!):

The yucky sheet laminate flooring was replaced with stone tiles and a marble threshold.

I love the tile pattern!

The Pantry

Before (UGH):

During:

I love the cheerful yellow walls in the small space. They really perk it up! We offset it by putting in black labrador countertops and refinishing the cabinets to be white. We also took that nasty scalloped trim down and ripped out the paneling.

The house was full of strange quirks, like a pass through closet between two bedrooms!

But he fixed it :) One wall length shared closet divided into two separate closets. 

This is all on top of reinsulating the home, fixing some structural issues, and attacking a seriously scary overgrown yard. I am so, so thankful for the home I got to basically re-design. Everything is new or refinished- floors, walls, finish, trim, appliances, light fixtures- you name it! We are (and by that I mean he is) working on new windows now. It will never end! :) It's only right that I am also thankful for the man that has worked so hard to make this house our home.