So....here's our new project

As most of you know it's been awhile since I posted a blog. Mostly because Mike and I have been INSANELY busy! Another reason, there have been lots of little projects to do at the house and who is interested in that? Now we are on to a new project of fixing the yard. As most know, the original landscapers, GoodEarth Landscaping, did a horrible job on grading the yard. Now we have hired Kuhl Landscape to come in and fix the problems.

So far, so good....if it would stop raining! Right now we have a break in the weather and can hopefully get all the work done to make the project a success! Enjoy the pics on the right showing the progress to-date.

Also in our spare time (LOL!) we have been finishing Mike's workshop in the garage. I figure I might as well help him get this done or all the things I want fixed or built won't have space to be done!! Below I've added pictures to show how far we've gotten.

Hope you like the progress!!!

Lights, Cabinets, Tile!!!

We have cabinets started! The layout has begun and I am so excited to see the kitchen start to come together. I cannot wait to cook in this beautiful space! We are also blessed with electricity and lights starting to add throughout the house -- now we can work after dark and get stuff done.

Kitchen - Oven Wall

Kitchen - Sink at Window - Island in Foreground

Lights in the Garage

Ceiling Fan in Living Room

(too often people don't put a fixture in the Living Room and it just doesn't make sense!)

Lights on the Garage Exterior

Awesome Tile Floors in the Kitchen

More stuff to load soon -- keep checking back & Blessings to Y'all!!!!!

Suzi

Back on Track!

So, I guess it has been awhile since the last update. We've been slightly busy with the holidays and then dealing with the dry wall and plaster guys. They dragged their feet making this process really horrible for awhile. Then the paint happened!!! All is saved!!! The house is finally starting to look like our own version of a house.


I guess all the moaning and complaining finally caught up with P&W and everyone is in the house at once this week. Starting Monday, the tile guy was in, but we had to send him home while we finished painting on Monday and Tuesday. Then the lights got delivered and on Tuesday the electrician had people out hooking up the kitchen, the porch, hallway, and the doorbell (I rang that 17 times before Mike yelled "enough already!")


Oh, I can't wait and I think Mike is getting the bug, too! Supposedly they are saying that everything should be done around Feb 18th. This would be wonderful because we could do a final move of stuff from the rental over spring break at the end of March. To move only one more time and be settled for a LONG time.......I am so looking forward to that moment!!!


Hope you enjoy the pictures -- looks like updates that are interesting will be coming fast and furious from now on. I may just upload pictures and let the typing go!


Have a wonderful day --- Love & Blessings to Y'all!!!


Suzi

Garage Doors and Winter's Arrival

Hi Everyone!

Suzi is finally alive enough to type on the blog. I have been down and out for the last week with respiratory flu. Haven't even been allowed to even go to work -- just sleep and sneeze and cough!

Anyways -- on to good news with the house. We finally have some dry wall up and the garage doors are installed. They really set off the house and I love the window look at the top. The insulation has been completed so hopefully the rest of the drywall will be done soon, too. Sure does make it warmer having the insulation in and the doors on -- can't wait for the furnace!

Everything should be moving faster now as the local power company came out today and installed the meter and the direct line to the house. All we should have to do now is throw the switch inside and we will be able to plug in and go! Still no running water, so I guess I have to wait to move in! :0)

Love to all as I keep my germs on this side of the computer screen!!

Holiday Wishes to You-
Suzi

Happy Thanksgiving - We Have Siding!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The siding arrived Wednesday and the guys started hanging it up on Friday. So excited!! Looks like a house that is finally coming together. The plan for the week is the insulators will start their job on Monday, the dry wall guy is following directly behind him, then the furnace is to be installed and hopefully some garage doors.

When the dry wall guy is done hopefully we will have some heat up and running for the plaster to be applied. This means we could be painting over Christmas break -- yea!!! Who wants to trade some painting work for Christmas ham or turkey??? Anyone??????

Very excited to see the front door installed, too! We have a rustic red shutters that we took into Sherwin Williams and had colored match, so in the spring we will paint the front door to match the shutters. Oh, and while we were at Sherwin Williams we picked out paint colors for the entire house ~~ two hours worth of choosing! When I figure out how to post colors I will add them on, too!

Love to everyone and Happy Holiday Season!!

Suzi & Mike

Shingles, Brick & Subfloor -- Oh, My!

The weather finally broke over the last week and the roof finally was finished! To our great surprise the brick layers showed up and put the details on the front of the house in anticipation of siding to come in the next few weeks....hopefully!!!


We also worked our tails off this weekend installing the additional subflooring in the attic spaces. The builder only provides us with a certain count in the "non-liveable" spaces, so we had to put in the sweat and back breaking work of installing it ourselves. Of course, Mike had to have a new tool to put this all together, so I bought his Christmas present early and now he has put the impact drill to the test --- in other words, I got to use it, too!!! :0) Now the attic above the garage is all complete and I can't wait to get my holiday decorations out of storage and into their new home.

The plumber is going to show up today and start doing the rough in and the heating guys are supposed to be here soon, too. Starting to pick up the pace as it should now that there is a roof! Our next duty is to order the kitchen cabinets in the right format (drawers vs. cabinet) and I will do that on Wednesday --- NO SCHOOL!!!!! YEA!!!!

Hope all is well with y'all and I will post again when I get a chance.


Love- Suzi

Windows Have Been Installed!

So, they sat around in the garage for four days, but there was enough of a break in the weather to get the windows installed. They are beautiful!!! I can't wait to see how the darker trim looks with the lighter siding. But, until then, I will just have to be excited about shingles....which may or may not happen ever -- especially if the rain does not stop.

We are on pins & needles waiting for our house to finally be safe from the elements and we are only a few more steps away. We need shingles and then the insulation guys are supposed to start working, too. March.....I just keep thinking March is when this is to be done!!

I'll try to keep y'all posted as things start to develop! Make comments to let us know you are reading this thingy I have created!

Love to all ~ Suzanne

Appliance Looking Today!!!

Just got done shopping for appliances today. There is a local place called Dornan's in Chillicothe that always works on our appliances when we need repairs, so we went there today. The guy who runs it is really knowledgeable and prices are so good. We are in love with Maytag appliances -- so of course I had to add the links to show you what I found:

OVEN: http://www.maytag.com/catalog/product.jsp?cat=9&prod=2255

Washer: http://www.maytag.com/catalog/product.jsp?cat=18&prod=2229

Fridge: http://www.maytag.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Refrigerators&cat=14&prod=1817

I love the oven -- it just looks like heaven to me and it will go wonderfully with a refridgerator I don't have to sit on the floor to put groceries into or too small to fit a casserole dish.

Make comments and let us know what you think!

Love-
Suzi

We Finally Are Getting A ROOF!!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen -- we have a roof! Or at least the beginnings of one. Mike and I are so sick of all the rain, the framers are having a heck of a time the last two weeks trying to get stuff done. According to the schedule we should have the roofers out to shingle next week and we can breathe a sigh of relief!!! If you ever build or have built getting the roof done is the most agonizing process if the weather is bad.

So after the roof we have windows and siding and hopefully some cleanup can begin inside. I never thought of myself as a clean-freak, but when I see all the mud tracked in to the "NEW" house, oh my goodness I freak out! Who is going to clean up this mess??????




















Oh, and we have final choices of flooring completed. Tile in the bathrooms, kitchen, dining, laundry room. Carpet in the living room and 2 of the bedrooms. Then, my office / back bedroom and the upstairs hobby space will have laminate that we put in ourselves. Yea! More work for us!!!



I will keep you posted -- sorry for the delays!!!

Love-
Suzi & Mike

Oh, and here's the link for the kitchen/dining room tile -- Look at the first sample, called Cinnabar. http://www.orchidceramics.com/ProductView.cfm?SeriesType=Porcelain&SeriesID=3&Series=Endure

Frame Is Going Up!

Hello!

September is flying by and we have begun framing the house! Today as I came up the road from Pleasant Hill it was neat to see our house from the distance -- it's really starting to take shape and look bigger! Mike and I are pleased with our overseer, Brian, who always answers our calls and questions.

We had a slight problem with a couple of the 4" blocks not adhering properly, and they immediately sent someone out to fix them -- and they aren't going anywhere now! The framing is looking good, but of course Mike and I are watching everything we can like a hawk.

I think the next step is ordering cabinets, so I need to meet and make sure everyone knows what is to be drawers and what is to be regular cabinets, etc. Flooring choices have been picked out, but as usual my mind has been changed for the ump-teenth time! Need to go back to the drawing board for the tile and laminate colors.

Things are moving along -- I'm on Homecoming Committee at school, so Mike is doing most of the building stuff and normal housework stuff -- maybe we can slow down over Christmas Break???

Love to all!

Suzanne

The New Home Begins!

Hello Friends & Family!

As promised in previous emails, I have created a blog to keep you up-to-date with the building process. We are super excited to tell y'all that the process has begun & we are on our way to a foundation next week. I've posted the first round of pictures including the cement frost footings, concrete block and sand!

So far Mike and I are pleased with P&W Builders and their associates. Unfortunately, we both think it looks pretty small without walls -- but everyone says that happens.

Let us know what you think, and we will keep you posted!

Love,
Suzi & Mike