Move In Day

So I started moving back in to our dining room and kitchen. It's nothing like an HGTV reveal. Sometimes I wish we could cut to the part where it's all done and I can ooh and aah over it. Especially since DH leaves for work travel soon.

The problems this week? Well, the cabinet above the microwave is too long. So we have to get another one made. Then, when DH and I measured the space where the new microwave will go, we realized it will stick out 4 inches from the cabinets. We're trying to make it flush along the bottom, but sticking out 4 inches deeper might be a problem. We'll see if we like it. I'm skeptical at this point, but I want a microwave that doesn't sit on the counter.

On the plus side, we discovered a lot of space on the back side of the island where the chairs will go. It's deep enough for shelves, and could be used to store the kids art supplies. That means I can reclaim my dining room hutch. I love this idea, so we're removing two of the three panels, finishing the back sides and having hinges and shelves installed so we can reclaim this space. I think it makes perfect sense! Of course I'm going to be staining and sealing these panels myself. Add that to my long list of To-Do items.

I have to find stain for our doors and windows to match our trim and casings (which is maple and matches the cabinets). The doors and windows are pine, and will take the stain differently from the way maple does, and I'm afraid it might look bad. Talk about fear of making a mistake here. Whatever goes on there will be permanent, since the windows are already installed. Another fear is getting the stain where it shouldn't go--and here I naively thought we could just use the same stain our cabinet maker friend used, but he said it's hard to work with. So now I'm nervous about the whole thing.

DH and I had been talking about adding on to the house: putting on a second floor with 3 beds/1 bath, or a 4/1 scenario if there was enough square footage, but we discovered that it isn't feasible for us to be out of the house for the 6 months it would take to do the work, plus the damage that might occur to the first floor (and all our new work) by tearing off the roof and going up. I harbored this dream for months, possibly years, and it was very, very hard, but I let that ship sail and went back to the drawing board.

Sadly, if we had been more organized, we could have looked at all the scenarios before we started this renovation (and I hate to say it, but I tried to talk to DH about an addition while we were getting estimates from builders, so we wouldn't be re-doing new work, but he said let's take care of the kitchen/DR first) so my idea of a second floor addition over the dining room, patio and half the attic is also not an option.

Now we can't tear down the garage and add on in that direction, since the kitchen was rebuilt to eliminate water and pest damage, and is now tied securely into the roof line of the garage.

So--deep breath here--we worked hard the past three weeks to design an addition off the back of the house that wouldn't interfere with our plan to live here while the work was done--a huge concern for DH--and we came up with a pretty good design, and then narrowed it down even more. It was hard to compromise, but in the final design, we were pretty happy with the result. But then the bid came back high enough to scare us off. DH doesn't think we'll recover the money we would spend on that renovation. I still haven't swallowed this bitter pill. So while I'm excited to be moving back into our new kitchen and dining room, I am having to let go of a dream. And come to terms with the issues we still have with this house, or the possibility of having to leave our dream kitchen behind for a house more suited to all our needs.

As a kid the one thing I had a hard time with was frustration. I still have a hard time with it. It's bitterly disappointing to plan and think and dream up several ways to improve your life, the function and aesthetic of your home, only to have it dashed by cost, and fear that we're putting more money into a house that we might not recover if/when we sell. And it's frustrating that that one fear is the deciding factor in actually making this house work for us. I believe it would be worth going ahead with the renovation because we'd love the new space, the house would work for us again, and we'd have absolutely no reason to sell it, but neither of us is a professional in the real estate market, so there's no telling whether we'd recover even 70% of the cost. And it's a lot of money.

Renovation Reality: Still Going

The weather cooperated enough for the stone steps to be built at the front and back entrances, and for them to start on the stone siding out front. DH and I love it.

The crew stained and began installing the wood siding for the underside of the back porch. It will look beautiful when it's finished.

The best part is our cabinets. They arrived Saturday and were installed by our friends. It looks absolutely stunning, even without the appliances and countertops. DH and I are blown away.

Appliances arrive tomorrow. There is still trim work to be installed, and the new doors and windows must be stained to match the cabinets. Outside there is still the ceiling fan (which arrived on Thursday last week) to be installed, the post lights out back, the front lights, and the two hall lights, and then the wood around the posts and frame of the porch roof. Ah, one day at a time.

From Daddy's Phone

Here's a look at the family from DH's phone, complete with captions he created when he sent me the pictures.

Evie and Mudge

Arrrr!

One point twenty one jiggawatts?

Tall

Oh no!

We'll get ya, see.

Loves him.

Loves him a lo.t

Wassup, esse?

Is she 9?

...and going on 12?

So nice.

So very nice.

Very cool

Diva

Flapper

Pimp

Pink pimp

Pink pimp serious think

Like Maisey

Like Mommy

Like live in a wigwammie

Doggie sit.

Doggie kneel.

Doggie Jack and Jill.

And one to grow on.

Renovation Reality: Nearing the Finish Line

It seems like time is slowing down, or maybe it's just progress slowing as we approach the finish line.

We painted in anticipation of the doors and windows being installed, but then we didn't have doors and windows until last Wednesday.

The felt paper went up on the house in anticipation of stone siding, since the windows hadn't come on time, but the rain held up that work plan.

But, at least the floor was put in this past week. And it is glorious with the paint and the new doors and windows.

Now that the floors are down, I had to finish the wood that was hidden under the ugly brass threshold piece to complete the transition between rooms (because we are not putting in T-molds). I had to sand and fill a huge crack and nail holes with wood filler, but the stain is taking nicely, although a horizontal pattern has begun to appear. I guess it'll just add character to our beautiful old oak floor.

The other threshold looks more finished, though the difference between the two woods (maple and oak) is pretty distinct.

The first of our lights went up in the dining room last week, and it is perfect. For us, for the room, the house, for our style. I am so happy with it, I can't wait to see the rest of them installed.

And we expect to get our cabinets in next Tuesday.

Or Wednesday.

Or Thursday.

DH blames me because the samples of our floor color and preferred cabinet stain color didn't arrive at the cabinet maker's on Thursday last week when the Post Office said it would. Didn't anticipate that at all. It arrived Friday.

The only big decision left to make is the ceiling fan for the back deck. We finally found one that could work, but we need to be sure it is the right length.

We ordered lights for the posts out back, and one of them arrived on Friday.

Our island light arrived on Friday too. I sent an email on Friday morning asking where it was, because my order status said they were delivered. Turns out it broke in transit and was returned, and a replacement light was shipped out. The replacement arrived about an hour after I sent the email inquiry. I think I got the new light before I got their response.

We may have a kitchen without counter tops for about 10 days. If the cabinets are installed this Thursday, and they're measured on Friday, it'll be a week to two weeks before the granite can be cut and installed. Ah, the hurry up and wait theme again.

And then there's the stone siding, stone steps, and window box. If only the weather would cooperate. They wanted to start work on the steps and siding on Friday, and it poured rain, so they went home. It feels like those dreams when you're trying to run as fast as you can, but you're bogged down, and are moving in slow motion.

Renovation Reality: Hurry Up and Wait

We have drywall!

That is such a huge milestone. Of course the dust is an inch thick on the subfloor, and everywhere else, and I have no idea how to get it all up, but it's a great feeling to know that the rebuilding process has begun. From here it's painting, installing doors and windows, installing appliances, cabinets and lighting. Then the stonework outside, stone steps, wooden roofing, lighting and fans, and we are pretty much at the finish line.

Of course I'm getting ahead of myself.

This past week or so was wasted running here and there for kitchen door quotes below $2000. Nobody had anything in stock we liked, which would have been the least expensive. Everything we liked was around $1000 with at least 3 weeks before delivery. Then Clint started searching on Craigslist. There are tons of doors there--the same doors we were looking at, but at half the price.

So on Saturday (7/27) our sitter played with the girls and we drove all the way to Beaver County, PA to to look at a beautiful door with oak frame.

The best part was making a plan with DH on the way there. "Signals for if we don't like it?" he asked.

"I will tell you I don't like it." I said.

"Good, don't blurt out anything positive. Point out things you don't like, even if you like it."

"I can't do that. If I like it, I'll be quiet so I don't ruin the fun of your negotiation."

"But then I won't know if you like it. If you like it, say 'the eagle has landed' (or something like that--I don't remember exactly what he said)" he said.

"Or, 'the chair is against the wall.'" I said. "How about if I like it, I just poke you?"

And that's what I did, almost as soon as I saw it.

Of course they made a little small talk (he made his own wine, and was selling the door and some appliances for a friend); then they negotiated for a few minutes. Clint offered $100 less than he was asking. In the end, they met half way and the guy even threw in a bottle of his homemade wine.

Yes, the door fit perfectly in my car. Then we had a nice lunch at a bistro on the main street, and then back home with our beautiful door.

The workers came on Monday and were impressed with our door. Since the other doors and windows weren't expected until 8/1, they fixed our leaky and rotten porch roof, and then moved on to another job until the doors and windows arrive.

What to do in the meantime? Paint.

A lot.

By the way, tray ceilings are really tricky to paint.

So, after two days of painting 3 different colors, it's finally done, and dry. And it looks beautiful.

We even painted down the hallway so that the old plaster walls had a new coat and looked better, plus all the imperfections were patched by the drywall guru, so we kind of had to paint in there. The hallway needs new lights too.

And we are ready for the wood floors to go in, which have been acclimating in the middle of the work zone for the past week. Can't wait for those to go in. But that's next week.