Closing in on the kitchen

So it was a little bit of a circus making sure the painters weren't trampled by little Sal the plumber, the granite installation, appliance delivery, and aplliance installer, but all went well. Nothing is really finished, yet everything is in progress...like a working document I guess. Four men could barely lift the island and after some sawing and tweaking of the cabinets, gas line, and electrical box, most of the appliances are ready for yet one more return call from the hourly installer and his son (at a bargain 1/2 price! lucky us) Hopefully, it will all be worth it in the end-I can't wait for Mike to cook for me for the next 6 months!

the house Dec 30

As a matter of fact the house didn't look alot different, but one could tell, and smell, the prep work involved with scraping years of paint from every crevice and the patching of holes from 90 years of curtain wars, sanding of adhesive that used to hold plastic over the windows in the winter I presume, and the restaining of absolutely every piece of wooden trim around the house. Once we got back, we watched the painters transform the house into a bold palette of color--I almost don't want to show you, but I suppose I will give sneak peak! The green, aka Recycled Glass is in the little bedroom, and the BeesWax is in the living room and dining room! WOW, what a difference in color (and skill from the very polite yet careful painters)

1867

Yes, 1,867 miles we put on the car in one week! The holiday hussle began by escaping Chicago between nasty snow storms on Saturday morning, Dec 20th. We drove to Cinncinatti, the Jonesborough TN, and in to Charlotte. We saw lots of friends and family before returning to find out the house just wasn't ready for us to move in.
The drive from TN to NC was quite a nice, sunny adventure. We were mesmerized by the blue ridge mountains, or was that carsick? And a bit hungry too. All we could think about was passing a chick-fil-A-although we were quite starved, after about 3 hours, we drove right into a slammed restaurant for some chicken and waffle fries! First time we were able to coordinate this since we alsways go thru Charlotte on a Sunday when they are closed.
As for the family photo, don't mind us on our last night together whenI propped the camera up on a cookie tin to snap a picture (don't look at my giant head of hair-been having som eissues with that recently) before Mike and I ran out to make our last visits with friends. Everyone had a great time, and its always good to catch it on film.

Santa

Mike likes to go to McDonalds on Saturdays and I like Einstein. Luckily they are neighbors on the new side of Wheaton where we live. Well, this particular morning, we picked up my meal first and then went to MickeyDs. That will be the last time because this Santa was festive, mike was not, Santa didn't like that mike didn't want to take a picture and then continued to call him Bob. Mike was furious. I, however, took a photo and got a candycane!!! Baa Humbug.

Master bath

Maybe my looks will improve if I start spending more time in the bathroom primping in a combination of natural lighting, can lighting, and sconces installed around the mirrors. Why wouldn't I want to spend more time in here. It looks like a spa! I think the walls will be a french blue something (bluish grey.) That is a new palette of color for me and I look forward to the changes! Now the question is: do we paint our room a similar color or pick up a complement from the tiles? hummm.

Green grapes!

well, green grapes was the color we had originally painted in the pretty green bath and we are torn whether or not to do anything the same or mix it up a bit since everything is new & fresh. The glass tile was scraped off after it was installed backwards and then done correctly. can't wait to get in the guest bath when it is all finished! I've got a perfect piece of furniture in mind fo rmy new niche inside. A tall, mirrored armoire-mirrors are hot right now, and I haven't had a new, non potterybarn something in a long, long, time. See it at JCPenny.com--mom, what a perfect house warming gift (ship to store saves on the shipping charges!)

slate

the flooring is coming along. slate is arranged in the entry, aka mudroom, aka atlas's room. the trim boards are getting assembled too. Now I am truly torn though because where atlas's bed was supposed to go is now holding the old buffet that the Tv was on. (the remaining pieces of furniture are on the slate so the wood can be sanded and finished.) That piece of furniture fits absolutely perfectly there and now I don't want to move it--if we kept it there, it would require buying a new plasma for above the fireplace and right now, that is totally out of the question!

monday

HI
No new pictures for now. A lot should happen this week. More tile of course-the base in our bath and another wall in the guest bath. The slate flooring is being arranged too. Counters are being measured thursday and somehow the floor might be getting sanded and stained? Not sure about that. Most windows are trimmed-one left I think. Looks quite nice and I can imagine how much nicer once there is paint on the trim and the walls Close, but far....more later.

Atlas baby!

Mr. Comfy on the couch...

Little guy looked great! It was fun to see him and he was quite excited to see us! I think he is going to be rather sad and lonely though when he comes back-without Zoe, Bosley (his best bud), and Bruno, he will have no playmates and he will be bored all day long.

slowly progressing

Sorry I have been slow on the blog. We are making strides now. Tile, window trim, more tile is coming along. A few random pictures to saturate your palettes. OH GOODNESS! cabinets too! How could I forget that? WOW! we have the world's larget island in wheaton's skinniest house!

Today I will probably take more pictures and update over the weekend. My graduate project is just about done and then I will have all the time inthe world to keep you posted. Hopefully, I will have moved in by then too!

Last weekend

We had a fun weekend in Saugatuck to celebrate a birthday. It was a great time and we even saw a little snow pile dup on the ground. Hopefully the next big celebration will be at our house. I've already been asked when new years invitations were being mailed!

Master bath

Here is what nearly broke the bank. the marble subway tiles are going in and they absolutely look beautiful. A little trim work on top and bottom all the way around and then floor to ceiling in shower area. Nothing for the potty-that room will be lonely and plain.

Wood flooring

Last week the flooring was dropped off in bundles and a day later the entire floor was done upstairs and down. A few areas still need patched upstairs and I don't think anyone is excited about that, but oh well, it's got to be done. Part of the job. Eventually everything will be sanded down, i guess the base moulding goes on and paint last? Something like that I guess. The dining room and living space are even heights and just a tiny threshhold to the kitchen. That was my preference so the table could be pulled out and there wouldn't be any danger zones for chairs.

steps galore

These are the new steps out to the driveway. No more messing with a gate or mud. The stairs to the kitchen are for Atlas and maybe come spring, we can get a little patio on the side and some sod that will clean up the look. Anyone with a green thumb is welcome to offer advice on the backyard!

new windows!

The old windows are finally gone! Layers of glass, storm windows, and dirty screens have parted ways for these beauties. Althought hey are about 4 inches narrower than the old ones, they are SOOO much brighter-unfortunately I will have to stain them later. On the list for YOA January 2009!

3/4

Siding is 3/4 of the way done and the ceilings, walls, and other unusual spaces have had several layers of "tape & mud". As soon as I come home from work in the daylight, I will take pictures again, maybe from another angle and you can get another view, until then...

50%siding

We went grey on top and I absolutely love it. it makes me feel like I live on the New England coast. Crisp, cool. Everyone who drives by has giant compliments for the exterior, which confirms the color choice and variety of textures, lines and shapes. Bentley's owner, Millie, was telling us how amazing it was as we caught her walking around the back (she didn't know we were there) and how after her house was resided 5 years ago, she still loves coming home from work everyday!
The weather was cold and windy today but the guys worked from 7 until 3 to finish the whole driveway side. They will also add the capitals to the new windows to match the old. And if we are lucky, any extra siding may reface the front of our garage to match and then we will paint the rest until we a ready to do phase 2 or 3--hopefully the basement will be 2 and the garage #3!

Tall man

The guy on stilts made the day. After mixing some sort of concoction in a large bucket. I guess he poured it into his tape gun and got to work. I love the spring loaded stilts and the uniformity of the rolling process to seal the edges and join all the boards. A few more coats and we will be ready for primer and paint.

Siding

Well, a few raised eyebrows on my part tonight. Working long hours, going to school at night, and the time change are making me a bit worried. The first picture was what I saw this morning, the second picture is what I will apparently see tomorrow morning. I don't think either one is right, but unfortunately working isn't helping in the communication process. Hopefully I can report some changes Saturday that make the white stripe disappear. Wish me luck.

Drywall

Phase one walls are up. I hear the taping is pretty neat to watch. Maybe if I slip out of school at the bell tomorrow, I can see and tape some action and send it your way. The walls really make a difference and frame the space with more reality than the studs!

Halloween

Mom and dad came for a visit to see how things were going. Dad wanted to get a closer look, instead of relying on what I was sharing, and it was great to see them both. Mom is the only one that gets her photo on the blog-her big pumpkin outdid Anne's and mine! Mostly, I am sure they enjoyed sitting on the porch furniture set up in the driveway while passing out candy and visiting with our friends. A few beverages, a nice dinner, and a little celebration up the street led to a fine night had by all! Just another day on Garner.

Pre-drywall

I guess this stuff is important for inspection, but for myself, I think it just looks pretty cool! All the holes with pipes running through them had to be filled with this firecaulk (sp?)so artistically, these orange eruptions are all over the house! Although it has been a warm November so far, with just a little insulation, our house has never been as warm as it is now, and the heat isn't even running!

Water service

Mike and I never drank from the tap water and if you saw our pipes and faucets, you would certainly understand why. That however should not be a problem now. The new line was dug; the outside of our house is a muddy mess. The only perfect piece of sidewalk we had is now a pile of rocks.

The inside concrete was poured to fill the hole,

and the furnace got some new knobs and shut off valves. Now, hopefully soon, I think we will have a bigger water tank, heated floors, and some fancy new faucets in which to drink!

Fireplace

This is for you Ann Marie. In 2 hours, it was all gone! Totally, not one piece of lava rock remained after hammering away. (there was another video, but it was longer and took far too long to load) We had already worked out that day and then in a few hours we went to a graduate student Homecoming function at Elmhurst. I wonder who won the first door prize for 50 bucks?

Tub time!

Yep, the tub has been added where the cast iron was pulled. There is alittle frame now and some piping for the faucets in the guest bathroom. I also found a cool mirrored cabinet I would like to put inthe odd, unusual space between the tub and the wall. Still to be determined! But underway!

Recent additions

The water lines have been finished for the heated flooring upstairs and down. Apparently each "zone" of the house will have it's own controls for the heating and coolong. Now that is definitely an upgrade from the old system in place!
The windows are a nice touch. To see them seal up the house and to look through them from the inside makes it feel like a house again, not just some wooden shell. The electric is on the way with switches, plugs, and can lighting. I can't wait to cook and actually be able to see my food without a giant shadow over top the counter.Other than that, not much new. Will look forward to some siding later this week? Or did I say that last week? humm. Well, it is Columbus day and I better use it wisely. Lots of laundry and a paper to write for my last class. Oh, how I can't wait for the YOA (Year of Alicia) coming up!

Guilt

How could I not miss the little guy? I mean really, I am on my computer looking at his fuzzy face in a file folder that has just about consumed every drop of memory of my laptop! So that noone forgets our little man, let these pics help restore his almost 4 year old self in your memory!

Living, again...

Just to update, Mike and I are living in what is hopefully our last place before getting back in our house. We have been graciously given a furnished home of a friend who has relocated for work. I try to tell myself that we are doing him a favor by "housesitting" even though I know it is really the other way around. I must say, I enjoyed going to the grocery store on Sunday and filling up a cart with the bare bones basics I haven't had for a while. I might even unpack my spices, oils, and things that I can use over the next month or 2. It is so quiet without Atlas and I am sorry to say that i miss the peace and quiet and am glad to have it back. I guess that will all come to a screaching halt at thanksgiving if we go get him and possibly move back in 1037 which won't be called big blue anymore!

Bye for now.

Kitchen

Here is the plan for the kitchen. We ordered the cabinets yesterday, I think. Anytime someone else, one of the Mike's, "takes care" of something, I am really not too sure exactly what happened. Anyway, this is the west side of the house, the long wall in the kitchen. To the right dog leg will be the dishwasher and sink. There will also be an island with vege sink (I like the term flamenco sink better) with the position to be determined. My mike made a placement call that didn't clear me and it was totally in the wrong spot-hopefully, mike the contractor will make it all better for me. I wish we could speed up time to get this all done in a jiffy!

Blog blah blah

Not doing so well today. Mike and I must transition to a new location for a few days while Stacy's relatives are in town. We packed up my car and I officially look homeless. Over the past 3 (or was it 4) weeks, I have accumulated alot of stuff in my temporary housing that is now all squeezed into my car. Also, I apparently lost a mascara and eyeliner at the gym yesterday as a result of my first conversation with someone I had met in a few random places before while getting ready for school in the locker room. Unfortunately for me, today happens to be parent visitation day at school so I hope I can find my master make-up kit in the car to get my face ready! Tonight is Thursday class, so I will have to scramble when I get to Jefferson (the street behind ours) at 9pm. Mike is getting settled first with a gift of cold ones for the fancy vending machine in the basement--nothing like a beer for only 10 cents!

Sunday

Dana & Kyle worked Sunday to the sound of the NFL streaming through the house. As the air conditioning was finished, the copper lines were being fit together to send water to the kitchen and then all the way up to the bedroom and bath. I think there are only a few more holes to cut and a couple of pipes to add before all the rough work is done. I like this continual progress we seem to be making!Look forward to siding soon!

Friday night football

This is a people picture a bit out of character from all the house photos, but these 2 girls are my friends, who are also neighbors, in our cozy little Wheaton world. Theresa, Stacy, and I went to the game friday night after a long, long week. All is well, a few birthdays coming up, and Mike and I are doing fine. We welcome fall and all the good things to come. Adios.

Ahhh, air.

I cannot imagine how people really try to live through this mess. The dust is starting to build up and I probably should try to use the shop vac to help manage the mess. Nothing is exempt from getting a fine film of dust, plaster, wood shavings. Every nook and cranny has been coated...In the meantime, Dana,the HVAC man and his partner are leaving the most impressive thumbprint as they install the system for our air conditioning. Dual controls sound cool, air seems dreamy, and the only room that I thought would remain clean and dust-free also needs two holes cut in the ceiling which I think is going to cause a need for a whole new ceiling and whatever snowball effect that may lead to causing! The flexible foil ducts are in the attic and the solid metal ducts are in the basement to send the cool to the first floor.