We've got FLOORS!!!

Things are coming along quite nicely with the house!  Installing the floors has made things go from construction zone to home.  The kitchen cabinets are going in this week and the electrician is coming to do the final install of the lighting.  Then it is just trim and some finishing touches.  We are hoping to move in the next couple of weeks!

We purchased the floor model of our fridge and the rest of the matching appliances are on the way.  The old oven is just there for cooking frozen pizzas while we work :)

Just a reminder of where we came from...

 Today!

Progress...

We closed on our house the 5th of August.  It has been a crazy time since then!  We have totally gutted the place and (slowly) started the rebuilding process.  This week, we are having electrical and HVAC work done, so no real aesthetic progress.  Come the weekend, it is full steam ahead with drywall!

Here are a couple of before and during photos, stay tuned for more as we progress!

This hall leads from the open concept living room and kitchen area to the 3 bedrooms and the bathroom.  Please note the abundance of hideous textures in the hall.  Beams, popcorn ceilings, paint, wallpaper, wood, shag carpet... AHHHHH so many competing ugly things in one place!  Since this photo was taken, we have also replaced the old beam and bizarre grecco-roman columns over the living room with a super awesome raw hemlock beam and posts.

Our original plan was the refinish the existing kitchen cabinets.  On our closing day, a truckload of unfinished oak cabinets arrived at our local Home Depot and we were able to purchase all new cabinetry for $1500.  SCORE.  The other side of those studs to the left is the master bedroom.  The husband is in the process of building his and hers double closets that will extend the length of the entire wall.  A home for my shoes!!  Yay!

A Big Climb!

The biggest climb in Maine, as a matter of fact!  And in my opinion, having hiked Mt .Washington in NH, which is taller than Mt. Katahdin, the most difficult in the East.

Baxter State Park is an annual trip for us.  It's definitely our happy place, away from the world, completely unplugged.  We have done a lot of hiking in the north end of the park and thought it was finally time to give the famous Mt. Katahdin a go.

We enjoyed some fishing near our campsite on the Nesowadnehunk as well and had some great luck! Nothing like a gourmet meal of fresh trout and Kraft mac n' cheese to round out a great weekend.

A few photos from the weekend...

(Pin)Spiration Furniture Rehab



The husband and I are finally moving into our very own house!  With a yard!  We couldn't close on the house for several months, so we are staying with my parents this summer to fill the gap.  I can't wait to get started on the house and have the decorating itch in a bad way.  Until I can get my hands on the house, I decided to work away at some furniture rehab to help satisfy the urge.

These end tables look antique, but they were actually a newer hand-me-down from my Mom.  I wish I had a before photo, but they were basically medium toned wood with a bunch of water marks on the top.

This was a really easy project! After removing the hardware and taping off the drawers, I scuffed them on with some medium grain sandpaper and cleaned the dust off.  Next, it was Krylon to the rescue!  I applied a coat of grey primer, followed by a couple of coats of Blue Ocean Breeze.  I am going to let the paint cure for 48 hours before I reattached the hardware and move them.

I have gone back and forth on whether to distress the tables and what to do with the hardware.  Now that I see the finished product, I am happy with the finish as is and plan to leave the hardware too.  Once we are in the new place, I will post the finished product in our living room.

  

This is a little preview of another ongoing project.  This old coffee table will be transformed into an upholstered bench with the striped fabric.  Stay tuned for more on this project... 

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow (or not!)

We may have a light covering of snow for Christmas on occaision, but never in my memory have we had so much snow so early in the winter!  With another foot on the way, the mother, the husband and I thought we had better get out and break the snow shoe trail today!

Because of the ice storm, the snow has really stuck to the trees.  It really is a winter wonderland!!

New Hampshire Trip

We just got back from a week long vacation in New Hampshire.  We had the best time!  It is rare that we want to return to a place right away.  Not that we haven't been awesome places, because we have.  But we just feel like there is too much of the world to see to go to the same spots.  Something about New Hampshire just drew us in and we are planning our hikes for next year.

Here we are on Lion's Head, part way up Mt. Washington.

I'm back. And I have a plan!

The madness is finally over and I survived relatively unscathed.  We traveled to Mexico, Florida and to visit the in-laws (4+hr drive) all in a little over a month.  The weight gain was kept to a minimum in part by exercise and applying South Beach principles whenever possible and in part due to a truly horrific stomach flu contracted from little niece on our final excursion.  Bless the husband's dear heart for driving us home on that fateful night...

I spent the weekend cleaning, doing laundry and stocking up on healthy food, so there is no excuse to not get back in the groove this week.

Sunday:  Venison stir-fry
Monday: Pulled pork salad
Tuesday:  Chicken cordon bleu and roasted broccoli
Wednesday:  Taco salad
Thursday:  Tortellini and shrimp in a red sauce (small portion for me!) and caesar salad
Friday:  Stuffed haddock and veggies