Headers, baseboards and trim oh, my!

During the lull between tile shipments, Greg has put his efforts into the trim work. He has found it surprisingly unmotivating and has been lamenting it's mild impact. I reminded him that the trim is what finishes the room, and hey, that means you're FINISHED!

I am a big fan myself. They're grand, but still understated.

landmark

I have been waiting for the moment when I could look down this hall and see my monochromatic vision take shape. The before image doesn't do an excellent job of illustrating how dark this hall used to be, but you can see the dark wood and get a general idea.

Now that the doors have been replaced and the walls have been painted a calm, neutral I am starting to see my vision come together. When I walk down this hall now, I love the blast of white and light that greets me and with each addition I know it will only continue to delight.

For whatever reason this felt like a landmark achievement for me in this process and it got me thinking about all the things I was sad to leave in our last house and how they are starting to slowly be restored. A finished, beautifully remodeled bathroom for example! Plus, all the extras I didn't have...like a gas range and soon to be three bathrooms! I guess this means we are out of the really dismal phase and I now have more than hope to keep me going.

The rest of the hall bath...

So, if you want to get nit-picky it's not completely complete! We still have some touch up paint to do, the shower light lens to install and the floor register. As well as the pulls and knobs for the cabinets and drawers. Someday, there will be pictures on the walls and I am hoping some additional shelving. But for our purposes today, I'm gonna say one space down, 9ish to go!

Ta-duh...introducing half of a hall bath!

Triple Threat Progress Report

We are slowly moving towards a complete bathroom and laundry room. The half bath is a little behind! Here is the hall bath with our pretty suede floors, glass slipper paint and half of the medicine cabinets.

Who is that mysterious plumber?

Plumber: Joe Bell

503.944.9061

One of our plumbers was extremely camera shy! But both were friendly & knowledgeable...

affordable too! Joe was also ideal for us because he was kind enough to work with us in stages. Perfect for DIYers.

They came and plumbed all the sewer lines in our triple threat project a week ago.

We are now about mid-way through the project(s) on a whole and mid-way through the sheet rockin' Paint and tile are slated for this weekend and with my brother flying in tomorrow to lend a hand we are hoping to be out of this mess and into our new cleansing spaces soon!

first down: half bath

second down:laundry room

third and fourth down:hall bath

Keep calm the dust settles

My mantra lately has been, "keep calm, the dust settles!" During WWII the propaganda poster "Keep calm, and carry on" was produced to help the British keep a stiff upper lip. Today, with a house that is barely functional each day finds me in the trenches of Home remodeling warfare and I have to remind myself that the dust will soon settle.

Today, little sister and I were washing our hands in the bathroom, only to find ourselves all lathered up and no water to rinse with. Yes, mid wash Daddy turned the water off for the plumber. As I desperately looked around, no towel, no cup of water and yes, the thought occurred to me...the toilet? But as that would have completely defeated the purpose of hand washing, I grabbed her little wrists and we marched to the kitchen suds and all.

Yesterday, there were several potty accidents, an incident involving a bowl of pea soup, the kitchen floor, wall, chairs, table, and adjoining hallway. Normal things in a toddler household, made extremely UN-normal by the projects that surround us and the subsequent lack of sinks, washers, and tubs.

But at the end of the day when I am staring down a mound of laundry and no where to clean it, I know that this is just a season of our lives. Having experienced the rewards that come with this kind of battle I know we will not be defeated! I find myself grateful for the little things, like running water to wash my hands and I am really grateful for the opportunity we have to beautify our home and apply our creativity and ingenuity in this way. So, if you're having a hard day, just hold on and remember that the dust will settle!