Time For One of These

All the way from the beginning to the end :)  If you click on the photo you can view it as a slideshow.

About Being an Island Girl....

I have my very own island. I'm going to visit my favorite Island later this summer.  Can't wait.

What you can't see is my island has a wine rack....kinda fun....and very me.

And now we have:
Tiles.
Receptacles.
Under cabinet lighting.

And I always wanted a window sill...and it's even better than I imagined it!   I love it when that happens :)

And the china cabinet has hardware.

We visited Lee Valley Tools when Klaas and Alice were here.   I knew they wouldn't mind joining me for that errand in London.   We also stopped at Rocky's Harley Davidson on the way there....you know...to sweeten the deal.   

I love how it turned out...

I wonder if Joe and Amanda like this duck :)

Love these pulls.   

Love how it turned out.

I guess I love lots of things....and people too.  

Counters, Cabinets, and Candy

This makes me think of Karen...I love how things remind me to remember :)

My counter feels like eye candy....and it fools people.   It only looks like granite.   Wilsonart - Madura Pearl.  

Last week also saw the addition of the crown moulding.
I think that's my new favorite part.   Oh and handles too!
And Blixie is chillin'...that's her favorite part.

Before...




















And after....

.....a bit of a change.

What you can't see is that the cupboards are full of stuff!  Much easier to open the cabinets after the handles went on.   Unpacking was kind of fun!  There are still a few empty drawers and shelves, but I'm sure it won't stay that way for long!

What you can't see is the number of times we're halfway to the guest room to get something...even though we've unpacked :)

New Bits

Everyday when I come home another little bit of the new kitchen is finished.   Some days it's a big piece and some days its just a little piece.   All the pieces that make up the whole.   

I'm amazed how much the boys love it.  They say so many words about it. More words than I expected from them.

One of my favourite things is how excited some of my friends are!    That's so fun!

I didn't realize how much I would love the crown molding.  Haven't had time for a photo yet.   It sure is nice for a Sunday to happen before the week starts again.

A year from now I won't remember that we spend two of the last 3 days in Windsor at OFSAA for boys soccer, and one day paddling from Cambridge to Paris in the pouring rain with the WCA (Wilderness Canoe Association).  It was awesome actually.

So Cool

I think this speaks at a thousand words.  Can you believe this day is here?  

Day one of installation. 

So cool.   

Just what I wanted!

In Good Trim...

For several days now we have had lovely Colonial baseboard throughout the finished part of the reno zone.  It showed up last week, spent a day or two getting a coat of paint....and was installed right away.    It looks so lovely....all puttied, and sanded, and just waiting for the final coat of paint.   Um...maybe next week?

There is some OFSAA some soccer that must be played first.

What you can't see is that the cabinets are on their way to our house today!

Living in limbo but not in a hurry. So much fun.

No Big Deal

So today I was planning to go and make cards at my friend Nancy's house.  Some Mondays we do that.   And before heading out the door I thought, "I really should paint that baseboard today."

And I really should get the foam roller and frame and tray from Helina before I do that.  Then I would have to get in the car and drive over there and come home and put on my paint clothes and then it would get so late by the time I would make it to Nancy's.....

See where this is going?

Instead...paint clothes on.  Brush.  Can open.  Painted a 120' of trim.  No big deal.   

And then I went to Nancy's for coffee and butter tarts and made 5 cards.  

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

Getting Paid

And yesterday I painted to my heart's content.   So many millions of things that SHOULD be done, and this one thing probably wouldn't.    But it's what I really wanted to do.   And so....I did.

And today, I'm paying for it.  After a busy week and day of painting.... Serious system crash.

Still....it feels awesome.
Sometimes I just walk into the garage to look.

Here it is freshly primed on the outside. (Primer always looks like crap.)   And one coat of paint inside.   (I was able to put two coats on the inside, and two coats on the outside.  It really should have one more coat on the outside. )

The last time you saw it, it looked like this.
<  Way over on the left, the wooden cabinet. 

From 70's Shag To Serious Swag

There were tufts of this magnificence stuck in staples at the bottom of the wall, after we pulled up the old hunter green carpet.    So this one...is for posterity.  

And this is our new area rug.   Shaggy.   What you can't see is how soft it feels on bare feet. Ahhh.

 We have new appliances!  They arrived Wednesday when I was in the middle of a three day meeting marathon.  We are not ready for a magazine spread yet.






But we are ready to host our small group on Sunday night.  Come on down!

This reminds me of sock yarn.
Which reminds me of my Mom.
I miss her a lot.  
I love things that remind me to remember. 

Whole Grains

Ahhhh...so nice....
The floor is finished and we can go walk about on it. 

And I put the curtain rods back up. 

And Ray has reclaimed his garage.   

We used to have four different kinds of flooring.   Carpet in the hall.  Carpet in the living room, vinyl in the kitchen and parquet in the dining room.  And now....just one kind.  Love it.

Looks like wood.

Only easier.   

Ray's favorite, favorite, favorite part is having the dining room table back!  The chairs were already and waiting.

What you can't see is the brand spanking new felt pads on the bottom of each chair-leg.   New flooring, right? So dramatic. 

As for me, the couch is back in the living room. I plopped on it for old times sake.  Much more comfortable without the tarp on it.  And quieter too.

Oh good, I see my keys.   I'm going to be needing them tomorrow morning.

Almost A Floor

Installing the subfloor is a very involved process.  There's more to it than just throwing down some underlay.   I highly recommend having the pros do it. 
For us, the pros are from Hamstra Carpet One.  They are more than mere tradesmen.  I would call them craftsmen, who take great pride in a job well done and give meticulous attention to detail.

This resonates with me. 

What you can't see is actually the cavernous sound of emptiness when you walk and talk upstairs.  
You can't see that the carpet in the bedroom is lifted up to screw down the floor in there.

The sound of silence.  No creaks and squeaks.


What you can't hear the sound of adhesive being spread, as the vinyl is being rolled out right now!!

What you can't see is the spreadsheet I have open in another tab that I should be finishing up.  Just have to do it in this order today :)

And one little dog is reclaiming her space,  feeling right at home.  

Moving Right Along

Some people like to post the photos at the end of their renovation.  I thought it would be fun to post as we go along so that you can experience the actual pace. 

So many things have happened this week!

Once the first coat of paint was finished, the ceiling was textured.  Painting with Helina was so much fun!  We just talk and laugh about everything.

And then the pot lights went in.   

It looks awesome, thanks to the very friendly, accommodating folks at Systems Electric!

Our dog loves it when Jeff comes over :)

And I painted the ceiling that couldn't receive a texture treatment.

After 3 years of sitting at the bottom of the stairs in a very large box, the new light fixture went up.  I loved it 3 years ago when I saw it and it was on sale!

And then everything was cleared away for the floor to come in.   That was an adventure all on its own.    The garage is really full now. 

What I miss the most is having a soft place to sit upstairs and ponder.  To read.  To have a coffee.    

We eat outside on the deck and found it really lends itself to lingering long together.  And laughing.   

I really like laughing.

Back to Killarney

Posting the 'before' is probably my favorite part!
My good friend Helina came over and we painted everything yesterday.

Goodbye 'Old-Pal Yellow'.

Hello  'Killarney'!!

I know...the  ceiling looks round, but it really isn't.   My lens is drawing in as much of the scene as it possibly can.

Goodbye 'Pony-Tan'. 

Hello 'Taiga' !!


My youngest commented that it looks modern...he was prepared that it would look like an old lady's house.

I think I'm flattered.....

Stoked

No photo.
Just stoked.

Today I washed the walls down and swept the ceiling.  

Tomorrow I get to prime it.
And prime the walls.
AND...put the first coat of paint on the walls!

I have to get up early because I was supposed to prime the ceiling this evening.

Had coffee with friends instead.

And chocolate mousse cake.   

PS  And yes....I was impressed by the "revolutionary formula".   And Tim, our drywall taper, mudder, sander....such a nice guy!  The house was so clean, I could hardly tell sanding had taken place.  Awesome job!

Dust to Dust

Well....this is where we left off last time.  

And tomorrow's the big day.   We have drywall.  We have mud.  And tomorrow there will be sanding...and we will have dust.


That's okay, it's already dusty.    Elisabeth already said I didn't have to dust since it would be no use.    I often listen to her domestic wisdom.

The mud reminds me of a friend's beautiful abstract paintings.      

I'm keen to see if the "Revolutionary Formula" lives up to its claim.    I have high expectations.