Week 34: Driveway demo & grading begins

Week 34: drum roll pllllllease!

after MUCH MUCH frustration...

I mean...  MUCH... frustration... 

I talked with the official public works guy, who emailed the appropriate (and most recent) final documentation for our trash disposal...

I collected (twice) the dump receipts (once from our old contractor & once from Nu Way the dump).

Then I tried to complete the official paperwork. But I didn't have the exact information I needed ....

So I called again and ask both parties for their documentation numbers. Clearly stating what date I needed them from... and other specifics...

again. they didn't add up... 

So I kindly asked the NuWay folks to help with the paperwork, as they had offered originally...

AND they were crazy rude... I'll spare you the details... 

I followed up with the former contractor... 

Then a day later got a call from NuWay saying they were sorry and they'd love to fill out my paperwork.

So while I had actually already filled it out... I agreed and waited a day to see what they came up with... 

AND

They were almost 50 TONS off of the real number... goodness...

anyhow... 

I faxed my version in... and held my breath... assuming I'd at least have to revisit it...

THEN we received THIS in the mail... less than a week later... 

don't know what it is?

it's the $3,600 deposit we gave public works at the beginning of our project.. 

AND  it was COMPLETELY refunded!!!

Hooray!!! Now we can get a driveway!!!

Week 30-34: Unpacking & finishing touches... kinda

I hate unpacking. I didn't realize just how much I dread it.
In life... I am a GREAT decision maker... well at least I think I am... :)
However there is nothing quite like having a million... little... seemingly unimportant... decision to make... to foul me up... there are no principles to default to... bah!

But slowly we've made progress...

The cork board/magnetic chalk board still needs the trim painted out... but I'm REALLY happy with the functionality of it... AS IS CAIAH and the way it finishes off the wall and transitions to the hall way...

we had custom shelves and corbels made (out of poplar) based on a kitchen magazine I saw... and fell in love with... Tim agreed... The custom shelves, in the end, were still much CHEAPER than ordering cupboards... and I personally LOVE the look in my house... better photos will come later...


We reused our target hardware ($10 for two, came in dark brown)... then spray painted them blk this time... thanks to Tim!
AND I added our old ikea poles (they come in black)... I needed a few extras soo... I went back to ikea AND instead of $4 a pole (already inexpensive)... I found them for $1 EACH!!! DIVINE!


one of my favorite finds... a light fixture from OSH that was $89!!!


our poor sink cabinet... will be without doors for awhile... It needing some adjustment to fit our farmsink... I need to call and have them reordered... but really it's the last thing on my list...

I want to find some way to display these linens...I have 1/2 aprons... napkins... also pillow cases ... but those will go elsewhere... they are from my great grand mother brought over from Italy... well most are... the others are cost plus :)


laundry "room" the catch all place in the house... :)


our master bath NEEDS art... more towels... but both will have to wait...



our master bedroom is a disaster... clearly it needs some tlc and a little more vision... I love the raw space... I'm waiting for it to speak to me... but the paper curtains keep interrupting...

we have a lot of clothes... most of which are sizes we dont wear right now... still trying to figure out what to and how to store clothes in this house...


this hallway landing will probably be my OTHER catch all for months to come... o it could be pretty... I know... :)


Caiah's closet is coming along... it still needs another coat of paint... but... it will wait...


old curtains: we have decided not to reuse them... many reason... but I kinda like having the window seats bare... Tim... isn't quite as excited about the idea... so we decided to wait... for now... I'm thinking maybe some sort of textured blinds...

... and MORE boxes to unpack!

Week 29: Moving in

The POD was FULL... AND my husband... He's the master packer!!!

No really he IS!

Not one single thing was broken or damaged... not even in the boxes...

Getting a POD was one of the BEST uses for our money in this project!!!
seriously. it took 6 people right around an hour to unpack and most of that time was spent with pregnant me trying to figure out where I wanted boxes... :)

We had a wonderful WONDERFUL crew of people who came and helped... on that saturday... and a few that helped tremendously on other days... I am so grateful for my friends AND family...





5 months pregnant me... laughing at steve... being steve...
an empty pantry is intimidating... where to put what?

the office is our catch all room the living room... just is

Caiah's room was set up first... it seemed like the MOST important part of a smooth transition for him...



Although... he HATED the scratchy sheets... there was NO leniency for them being CARS sheets... So we've now bought jersey cotton sheets in Caiah's requested green color... I'll show that later... :)


guest room closet... we're gonna keep it door less for a few more month till we decide how we want to use it... more on that later...

Week 28: Floors moving SLOWLY ... and concrete drive bid

Seriously.
I hate the hardwood floor install, stain and finish process... I'm normally pretty good with patience... but seriously... I am so ready to have a finish product!
We've gone with a dark stain... not exactly sure its prefect but the interior decorator friend likes it... and she picked the house color, that I questioned, and I LOVE IT... so I'll trust her...

so, so far... this week...

mon. sanding floors
tues. sanding floors & stain samples
wed. you got it... sanding floors & stain
thurs. 1st coat
fri. 2 & 3 coat

SATURDAY. is the BIG move date!

Week 28: Floors & more finishing touches

So it seems there are more finishing touches that I keep thinking of... getting closet shelving & poles installed... over sized face plates for island outlets... still need to find that 3ft door to keep the freezing basement air down stairs... and not filling our sweet home... I'll try to locate things this week... and hopefully we'll have most odds and ends tied up by the end of the first week of March...

TODAY... Tim and I filled (technically, it's half full) a dumpster... I think we've just about emptied the house of any empty boxes and debris that could possibly be in there... we pulled up the masonite boards & plastic which has been protecting the front room floors... moved stuff we want to save to the new garage... tossed EVERYTHING else...

Tomorrow... we'll go through the old garage one last time to see if there is anything else BIG that we want to get rid of...maybe we'll shop vac the house to get things all clean for the floors folks on monday... We'll also cover all the cabinets and tape them to try... to keep some of the sanding dust out...

I can not wait to see what the finished product looks like!
And even more... I can't wait to live in this amazing master piece!

Week 27: finishing touches

People we are in the home stretch...

THIS WEEK... We need to...
Pick hardware for kitchen & baths
(maybe get it installed)
Find a ceiling fan/light fixture for master bedroom
(install)
Find a light fixture for dining room
(install)
Install plumbing fixtures (kitchen & bath)
Get broken tile fixed & sealed - scheduled for friday
Order closet doors for last room (install)
Follow up with Arcadia Sash & Door for door hardware
Buy a new mailbox (ours is missing)
Follow up with interior painter (paint on window, curtain hardware & toilet)
Have shower glass installed
Continue to empty house of construction trash
Buy curtains & hardware for bedrooms & baths
Organize Sears deliveries (Ovens (ASAP), refrigerator & dishwasher)
Figure out who can install appliances (hehehehe)
Schedule final Fire inspection
Complete Public Works Paper work (collecting paperwork, waiting on d.r. to get correct numbers)
Schedule FINAL inspection

It looks like a long list... but really... it's just time... and luck :)...

It is so NICE to have a long list... and NOT one million people to manage...

Next week.
The floors get finished and we start move in FRIDAY!!!

It's hard to believe we're at the end...

BOLD = DONE