Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[Mollie]

On 11/5/2018 at 8:06 PM, MonicaM said:

I didn't even recognize Anna or Jill in those pictures!  Married life and pregnancies really have taken a toll on those two.  Of course that's a very unflattering photo of Anna, but she still looks quite different and much better than she does today.  

It looks like Anna lost her boobs on her wedding day.

[Angeltoes]

That's okay, she got two new boobs in the form of her husband and father-in-law.

[yogi2014L]

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Spurgeon didn’t even get his own birthday post.....

Meh, I feel like one post for each wedding birthday anniversary is totally overkill anyway with now so many more family members. They should just do one post a month and include everyones milestones haha

[Lunera]

Did Jessa even get a birthday mention? Her 26th birthday was 2 days ago.

[GeeGolly]

On 11/5/2018 at 6:33 AM, ginger90 said:

(November 4th)

 

 

 

(November 4th)

 

9 minutes ago, Lunera said:

Did Jessa even get a birthday mention? Her 26th birthday was 2 days ago.

[ginger90]

No birthday posts from Jessa and Ben. Ben’s family posted this, 3 pictures:

 

 

[JoanArc]

On 11/6/2018 at 4:54 PM, GeeGolly said:

Did Jessa even get a birthday mention? Her 26th birthday was 2 days ago.

"This is JD's season. Now shut up!"

[Fuzzysox]

18 hours ago, ginger90 said:

No birthday posts from Jessa and Ben. Ben’s family posted this, 3 pictures:

 

 

Grandma Seewald looks modern unlike possum head MeChelle.

I don't follow Benessa much. I'm still shocked they have made it this long. Did Bin finish school yet? Where does there money come from and why are they still living in the mold house?

[Ijustwantsomechips]

49 minutes ago, Fuzzysox said:

Grandma Seewald looks modern unlike possum head MeChelle.

I don't follow Benessa much. I'm still shocked they have made it this long. Did Bin finish school yet? Where does there money come from and why are they still living in the mold house?

???Possum head ???

[SMama]

Benessa bought the mold house, it’s a mystery how Bin supports his family. He is either still scrubbing toilets for JB or living off the Counting On $$$$$.

[Fuzzysox]

26 minutes ago, SMama said:

Benessa bought the mold house, it’s a mystery how Bin supports his family. He is either still scrubbing toilets for JB or living off the Counting On $$$$$.

Yes, they brought that house but by now I'm sure it's way too small for them. I would have expected that Jessa would have bullied Boob for a bigger and better house after all the money they have made thru the years.

Step it up Jessa you deserve a bigger better house! 

[yogi2014L]

1 hour ago, Fuzzysox said:

Yes, they brought that house but by now I'm sure it's way too small for them. I would have expected that Jessa would have bullied Boob for a bigger and better house after all the money they have made thru the years.

Step it up Jessa you deserve a bigger better house! 

How big is the Mold house? From what I've seen it should be ok for now, and hey maybe they should stay there if it is holding off blessing number 3.

I have a 900 sq ft home and we have one baby. I told my husband we need to move or an addition by baby number two. We could have two kids fit in here, but it wouldn't be preferable. 

[Lunera]

6 hours ago, JoanArc said:

"This is JD's season. Now shut up!"

Lol. Jessa must feel some type away about this. Her anniversary, birthday, and first son's birthday were all overshadowed by other people's special day. 

[DangerousMinds]

4 hours ago, SMama said:

Benessa bought the mold house, it’s a mystery how Bin supports his family. He is either still scrubbing toilets for JB or living off the Counting On $$$$$.

Someone tried to nicely ask this about Bin on SM recently and Jessa freaked out, so I sssume he is doing s lot of nothing.

40 minutes ago, Lunera said:

Lol. Jessa must feel some type away about this. Her anniversary, birthday, and first son's birthday were all overshadowed by other people's special day. 

She’s old news now.

[Westiepeach]

2 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

She’s old news now.

That’s got to be killing her. 

[lascuba]

8 hours ago, yogi2014L said:

How big is the Mold house? From what I've seen it should be ok for now, and hey maybe they should stay there if it is holding off blessing number 3.

I have a 900 sq ft home and we have one baby. I told my husband we need to move or an addition by baby number two. We could have two kids fit in here, but it wouldn't be preferable. 

Well, 19KAC had a whole episode about how small the house is when Josh and Anna were still living there...

Since Jessa and Ben own it, I could see them staying there for a another kid or two. 

[floridamom]

The house is a two bedroom one bath if I remember. Jessa and Ben use the second bedroom as a guest room as we have seen a crib in the master and Spurgie sleeping in their bed with them. Can't understand why that arrangement would be preferable. Jessa is used to being like a sardine in a can. I wonder how Ben really feels about that arrangement? I also haven't seen them have any sleep over guests...so why waste the space?

[Churchhoney]

2 hours ago, floridamom said:

The house is a two bedroom one bath if I remember. Jessa and Ben use the second bedroom as a guest room as we have seen a crib in the master and Spurgie sleeping in their bed with them. Can't understand why that arrangement would be preferable. Jessa is used to being like a sardine in a can. I wonder how Ben really feels about that arrangement? I also haven't seen them have any sleep over guests...so why waste the space?

I wonder if Bin's also used to being a sardine? Wouldn't surprise me. The Seewalds have pretty many kids, too, and Mike S has struggled to support them at times, I seem to remember. And maybe Bin also uses the guest room to study at times or something? .... I'd think he would need some quiet alone space to do at least some of his homework. I can't imagine writing all my theology essays in a smallish living room while two little guys were rolling their trucks around it .... 

Edited November 10, 2018 by Churchhoney

[ginger90]

This isn’t the greatest picture, but this was a 2 bedroom 1 bath house belonging to a member of my family. It is now a 5 bedroom 3 1/2 bath home. They built up from a one floor structure. 

If it’s doable, Ben and Jessa could stay where they are. (The location wouldn’t appeal to me, personally)

[GeeGolly]

Jessa's guest room.

[Barb23]

Jessa needs Erin (Bates) Payne & Alyssa (Bates) Webster to give her some  pointers on how to decorate & squeeze 2-3 kids in a small house with few bedrooms.  Somehow these 2 ladies make it work & their houses look nice & kept up.  I know, we're talking Jessa here.  You have to want & care about having a nice house.

I almost forgot about Zach  and Whitney Bates who also renovated & updated their house. 

Who chose the dark colors for the Mold house?  IIRC, the Duggars did the renovations & everthing was a surprise for Benessa when they got home from their honeymoon.  I know we snarked about it at the time .  Lighter colors would definitely make the living area look bigger & better.

I'm not so sure Jessa would be interested in a renovation of the mold house. I think she's happy complaining about what they have.  

[BitterApple]

Just now, Barb23 said:

  Lighter colors would definitely make the living area look bigger & better.  

I agree, not to mention they have massive, clunky furniture filling up the space. I'm not sure why Jessa chose such large pieces for such a small house, unless she figured she'd be upgrading at some point. 

[lookeyloo]

They all sleep in the same room, probably the same bed, so if they decide to change that they can put the kids in the other room and start anew with a new crop of babies in their bed.

[lulu69]

If 19K&C has taught us anything it's that kids can sleep anywhere: staircases, floors, countertops, etc... Bedrooms? Who needs actual private bedrooms? That's almost as ridiculous as pajamas or sheets on beds!

[Churchhoney]

42 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I agree, not to mention they have massive, clunky furniture filling up the space. I'm not sure why Jessa chose such large pieces for such a small house, unless she figured she'd be upgrading at some point. 

I can also see somebody doing that just because they're both egotistical and a dumb-ass...... Ego because the big stuff suggested wealth and was fashionable .... and a dumb=-ass because it doesn't fit the space ............She's a Duggar, after all. Just sayin.

[lookeyloo]

Imagine what an IKEA makeover could do for that house.  Not that it would happen and I'm pretty sure there isn't even an IKEA near them and shipping is prohibitive.  

[Future Cat Lady]

The kids sleeping in the parent's bedroom might be Jessa's method of birth control?

[OpieTaylor]

34 minutes ago, Future Cat Lady said:

The kids sleeping in the parent's bedroom might be Jessa's method of birth control?

And/or Bin’s - cuz Jessa said she has baby fever in an episode last season

[Jeanne222]

I thought Jessa was the big decorator in the family that everybody called on to fix up their homes.  Didn't she travel to Texas to redo Jinger's first apt/house? 

[Oldernowiser]

Hell, she thinks she’s Joanna Gaines 2.0. I seem to remember a weird mashup photo she posted of herself somehow melded into a photo of Joanna.

I confess to having some issues with the Gaines (not least because I was putting white wood on walls before Joanna reached her teens and irritates me that people think I’m just following her trend, why yes, thank you I am that petty), but Joanna has real talent and she works her ass off. 

So, Jessa? Not in a million.

[MunichNark]

Do americans tend to have a more conservative style in furniture? I've lately fallen into the rabbit hole of our TLC version here with all those house fixer upper hunter whatevers and apart from the truly horrifying flimsiness of american houses, the style is often very dark and solid and far more old fashioned and/or conservative than anything we would ever have.

[Scarlett45]

5 minutes ago, MunichNark said:

Do americans tend to have a more conservative style in furniture? I've lately fallen into the rabbit hole of our TLC version here with all those house fixer upper hunter whatevers and apart from the truly horrifying flimsiness of american houses, the style is often very dark and solid and far more old fashioned and/or conservative than anything we would ever have.

I would say yes, BUT the USA is so large geographically, ethnically diverse, and style/tastes also very by income and city vs suburban vs rural residence when it comes to something like furniture or clothing you couldn’t say the country has a more specific style. Does that make any sense?

[graefin]

1 hour ago, Oldernowiser said:

Hell, she thinks she’s Joanna Gaines 2.0. I seem to remember a weird mashup photo she posted of herself somehow melded into a photo of Joanna.

That was Jana.

[Oldernowiser]

2 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Do americans tend to have a more conservative style in furniture? I've lately fallen into the rabbit hole of our TLC version here with all those house fixer upper hunter whatevers and apart from the truly horrifying flimsiness of american houses, the style is often very dark and solid and far more old fashioned and/or conservative than anything we would ever have.

Scarlett45 summed it up very well. As someone all too familiar with TLC real estate programming addiction, it is true that most of these programs do love to create the drama of suddenly and magically discovering major building problems that will clobber the reno budget...gasp!!!

As someone who has been involved in construction and real estate for a long time in multiple places in the US, the reality is that very few homes have major underlying problems that would not have been caught on a property inspection prior to purchase. And while there are places and eras in which building codes were pretty minimal, to give you one example, the house we just completed last year had 27 separate inspections by the county building bureau during the process and that doesn’t include the site evaluations and plan reviews prior to breaking ground. Point is, just because HGTV loves the drama doesn’t mean all houses are “flimsy.”

More to your style question, I get why you ask. The people who recently bought my parents’ house to flip took an already dark row house and put in dark hardwood floors, dark gray paint and tile, black granite countertops and very dark cabinetry, so apparently that’s a style that will sell. But my own new house is all windows, white walls, blue and cream furniture and light wood floors. It’s really sort of Scandanavian, if anything. So all American houses aren’t the same any more than all European houses are, yes?

To get back to topic, Jessa’s dark little messy cluttered bungalow would make me insane, but apparently they’re good with it. Shudder.

Edited November 10, 2018 by Oldernowiser

[Oldernowiser]

31 minutes ago, graefin said:

That was Jana.

Well,I had to go look and you are right, it was Jessa who posted the morphed photo of Jana/Joanna. 

 I owe Jessa an apology, guess. Sort of. (It was still creepy, though...)

[Lunera]

2 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Do americans tend to have a more conservative style in furniture? I've lately fallen into the rabbit hole of our TLC version here with all those house fixer upper hunter whatevers and apart from the truly horrifying flimsiness of american houses, the style is often very dark and solid and far more old fashioned and/or conservative than anything we would ever have.

Everyone is different but the new fad (thanks to Fixer Upper) is Farmhouse. I like looking at decor pages on Instagram and mostly everyone is switching up their dark cabinets and furniture for white, rustic looking ones.

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Do americans tend to have a more conservative style in furniture? I've lately fallen into the rabbit hole of our TLC version here with all those house fixer upper hunter whatevers and apart from the truly horrifying flimsiness of american houses, the style is often very dark and solid and far more old fashioned and/or conservative than anything we would ever have.

Watching the fixer uppers, you'd get a very skewed view of American tastes.  Those shows seem fixated on certain design details like white kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite or quartz countertops.  I think it's because they're sponsored by companies that manufacture that stuff.  Our homes are a bit more diverse than that and plenty of people don't want hardwood floors everywhere or white kitchens or whatever.

I would say that, in general, our taste in furniture tends towards more substantial and traditional pieces than I've seen in my limited travels in Europe.  I think, at least in part, it's because the rooms in most American homes are far larger than those in Europe and the starker, plain, Scandinavian style furnishings that seem so popular there would be lost in our bigger rooms.  I don't see our homes as darker, though.  Because ours tend to be newer construction and central heat and air conditioning are virtually universal, most American homes have more and bigger windows and get a lot more sunlight than in Europe.  They're also usually on much bigger lots which allows more sun in, too.  Maybe we tend to  choose darker furnishings because of that.

I always found it kind of interesting that, in Europe, most homes are far older than here in the US but the furnishings far more modern in style. Obviously, that's a generalization, but I think it holds.

As for flimsy, as noted above, the fixer upper shows emphasize the structural issues.  Most homes are structurally sound and many communities require a housing inspection to look for problems before a house can be sold.  Most of us also hire inspectors ourselves to look at homes before we buy, so we know that the roof needs replacement and such and agree to doing it before we sign the papers.  The flipping shows involve a small minority of the housing in the US.

[lascuba]

7 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

I can also see somebody doing that just because they're both egotistical and a dumb-ass...... Ego because the big stuff suggested wealth and was fashionable .... and a dumb=-ass because it doesn't fit the space ............She's a Duggar, after all. Just sayin.

All that, and/or it was all free from the Duggar attic because she's too cheap for new furniture. 

[jcbrown]

3 minutes ago, lascuba said:

All that, and/or it was all free from the Duggar attic because she's too cheap for new furniture. 

That's what I assume--that she just went to one of their vast warehouses-o-crap and picked out what she wanted.

[farmgal4]

1 hour ago, Lunera said:

Everyone is different but the new fad (thanks to Fixer Upper) is Farmhouse. I like looking at decor pages on Instagram and mostly everyone is switching up their dark cabinets and furniture for white, rustic looking ones.

And those white, rustic cabinets will be totally outdated in 2 years or less.

[lookeyloo]

Interesting topic.  First, I have my own thoughts about the Gaineses and their beliefs.  Second, I come from a small city near NYC in NJ and I look on Zillow almost every day to see what's what.  Those houses are small, small windows, therefore, sort of dark.  At least the ones I grew up in, in that area, and of people I knew.  We didn't have central air since the houses were heated with radiators.  Surrounding small cities and towns the same.  Too spendy.   The notion is that it being so cold, one didn't want big windows because of having to keep it warm.  Don't know if that is true, but that's the notion from back then.  I live in the south now.  And we gutted the kitchen in this house in a subdivision, my choice, and put in my dream kitchen.  White IKEA cabinets, quartz countertops and stainless appliances.  Can I tell you what a thrill I get every day walking into it? I don't care if it is outdated today or ever.  I lusted after a white IKEA kitchen for years before we moved here, when I would come to visit.  Shipping to the other city was prohibitive or I would have done it there.  I don't know where Jessa thinks she gets her decorating sense from.  Does she get the Joanna Gaines magazine?  Do they watch Fixer Upper on their laptop?  Do they watch other HGTV shows?  The kitchen in the mold house is pretty nice but did she design it?

[Temperance]

6 hours ago, OpieTaylor said:

And/or Bin’s - cuz Jessa said she has baby fever in an episode last season

Jessa said that after visiting Jinger when Felicity was born. Ben said that they might have "three in four years of marriage" (didn't happen) and seemed excited about the idea. Ben said that when TLC aired an episode aobut last year's anniversary (2017) and now they've been married four years (in 2018) and still two kids. It's hard to tell, but Ben seems like he might have baby fever too. 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Temperance

[xwordfanatik]

47 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

Interesting topic.  First, I have my own thoughts about the Gaineses and their beliefs.  Second, I come from a small city near NYC in NJ and I look on Zillow almost every day to see what's what.  Those houses are small, small windows, therefore, sort of dark.  At least the ones I grew up in, in that area, and of people I knew.  We didn't have central air since the houses were heated with radiators.  Surrounding small cities and towns the same.  Too spendy.   The notion is that it being so cold, one didn't want big windows because of having to keep it warm.  Don't know if that is true, but that's the notion from back then.  I live in the south now.  And we gutted the kitchen in this house in a subdivision, my choice, and put in my dream kitchen.  White IKEA cabinets, quartz countertops and stainless appliances.  Can I tell you what a thrill I get every day walking into it? I don't care if it is outdated today or ever.  I lusted after a white IKEA kitchen for years before we moved here, when I would come to visit.  Shipping to the other city was prohibitive or I would have done it there.  I don't know where Jessa thinks she gets her decorating sense from.  Does she get the Joanna Gaines magazine?  Do they watch Fixer Upper on their laptop?  Do they watch other HGTV shows?  The kitchen in the mold house is pretty nice but did she design it?

I lived with an outdated, dark, small kitchen for almost 30 years.  I was so happy to have my kitchen remodeled with white cabinets, granite countertops, and yellow walls.  I get to enjoy the morning and afternoon sun, with the big windows, and the previously lowered ceiling with fluorescent tube lighting, transformed into the original higher ceiling, with can and pendant lights.  It's so beautiful.  I didn't want grey anything.  Warm colors and light make my kitchen look bigger and brighter.

Jessa's kitchen doesn't look bad, to me.  I've never watched Fixer Upper, but I'm hoping to get a bathroom remodel next year.  At least I have a spare bathroom to use in the meantime.  

[andromeda331]

8 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Watching the fixer uppers, you'd get a very skewed view of American tastes.  Those shows seem fixated on certain design details like white kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite or quartz countertops.  I think it's because they're sponsored by companies that manufacture that stuff.  Our homes are a bit more diverse than that and plenty of people don't want hardwood floors everywhere or white kitchens or whatever.

I would say that, in general, our taste in furniture tends towards more substantial and traditional pieces than I've seen in my limited travels in Europe.  I think, at least in part, it's because the rooms in most American homes are far larger than those in Europe and the starker, plain, Scandinavian style furnishings that seem so popular there would be lost in our bigger rooms.  I don't see our homes as darker, though.  Because ours tend to be newer construction and central heat and air conditioning are virtually universal, most American homes have more and bigger windows and get a lot more sunlight than in Europe.  They're also usually on much bigger lots which allows more sun in, too.  Maybe we tend to  choose darker furnishings because of that.

I always found it kind of interesting that, in Europe, most homes are far older than here in the US but the furnishings far more modern in style. Obviously, that's a generalization, but I think it holds.

As for flimsy, as noted above, the fixer upper shows emphasize the structural issues.  Most homes are structurally sound and many communities require a housing inspection to look for problems before a house can be sold.  Most of us also hire inspectors ourselves to look at homes before we buy, so we know that the roof needs replacement and such and agree to doing it before we sign the papers.  The flipping shows involve a small minority of the housing in the US.

That's why I always end up disappointed in fixer up shows. I want to see different ideas, different styles and things. Not basically the same thing over and over again. I tried Fixer Up during one of the marathons it didn't take long to notice I was basically seeing the same thing over and over again. 

[GeeGolly]

43 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

That's why I always end up disappointed in fixer up shows. I want to see different ideas, different styles and things. Not basically the same thing over and over again. I tried Fixer Up during one of the marathons it didn't take long to notice I was basically seeing the same thing over and over again. 

Very true. And Joanna, as a designer was always very careful to say she was personalizing it for the homeowner, yet she would be referring to one or two items, and still those items were Joanna's style.

[Albanyguy]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Joanna, as a designer was always very careful to say she was personalizing it for the homeowner, yet she would be referring to one or two items

But those are the only items the new homeowner will actually keep. The show is really about the structural changes: tearing down walls (Joanna has never seen a wall she doesn't want to tear down), new cabinets, bathrooms, etc. The furniture they bring in is just "staging", it's rented stuff that will go back right after filming. That's why it always looks the same; it all comes from the same place (you can always count on the giant wrought-iron wall clock making an appearance). But  in each episode, she'll have her carpenter build one or two special items that the new owner gets to keep, usually something that incorporates a bit of family history or a special interest. 

I think Jessa is obsessed with Joanna Gaines because she sees Joanna and Chip as an idealized version of herself and Ben: a woman who seems to effortlessly combine being a media star with being a traditional wife and mother and a goofball husband who is happy to let his wife make the plans and tell him what to do. What she doesn't realize, of course, is that Joanna and Chip have achieved their success through hard work, careful planning and an intelligent understanding of what their public image needs to be. 

[GeeGolly]

8 minutes ago, Albanyguy said:

But those are the only items the new homeowner will actually keep. The show is really about the structural changes: tearing down walls (Joanna has never seen a wall she doesn't want to tear down), new cabinets, bathrooms, etc. The furniture they bring in is just "staging", it's rented stuff that will go back right after filming. That's why it always looks the same; it all comes from the same place (you can always count on the giant wrought-iron wall clock making an appearance). But  in each episode, she'll have her carpenter build one or two special items that the new owner gets to keep, usually something that incorporates a bit of family history or a special interest. 

I think Jessa is obsessed with Joanna Gaines because she sees Joanna and Chip as an idealized version of herself and Ben: a woman who seems to effortlessly combine being a media star with being a traditional wife and mother and a goofball husband who is happy to let his wife make the plans and tell him what to do. What she doesn't realize, of course, is that Joanna and Chip have achieved their success through hard work, careful planning and an intelligent understanding of what their public image needs to be. 

Even the kitchens and bathrooms were Joanna's style.

And college educations.

[mzskyhawk00]

On 11/10/2018 at 10:38 AM, lookeyloo said:

Imagine what an IKEA makeover could do for that house.  Not that it would happen and I'm pretty sure there isn't even an IKEA near them and shipping is prohibitive.  

There’s one in Memphis. That one is nearly 5 hours away.  The closet one to them would be the store in Merriam, KS. That one is only a 3 1/5 hours drive.

Edited November 11, 2018 by mzskyhawk00

[lookeyloo]

59 minutes ago, mzskyhawk00 said:

There’s one in Memphis. That one is nearly 5 hours away.  The closet one to them would be the store in Merriam, KS. That one is only a 3 1/5 hours drive.

Well that lends itself to endless possibilities doesn't it?  I wonder if they even know what an IKEA is?

[kokapetl]

Perhaps American homes seem flimsy because American TV shows seem to have an obsession with knocking out walls in them. 

Austin’s house looked like a shanty.

Edited November 12, 2018 by kokapetl