More 'After' pictures

I waited a LONG time for this- it was worth it . . .


Tin backsplash








Corbels under the bar:

Backyard Glamour Shots

Yeah, it's about time I give you a few 'after' shots, right? Here are a few of the yard. This was one of the greatest projects we accomplished. Very rewarding. If you've forgotten here's what it used to look like. I have the day off and I plan on spending most of my time out here :)

Moulding, etc.

It's been a few weeks- we've been recovering. Last week, we hung the TV- that was exciting! And this week there will be more painting and moulding. It's been hard to keep the energy level up after making such great strides in a short period of time.

Here's a picture of the moulding we put up around the bathroom mirror- and by we, I mean Dave.



We've made out Phase 2 plan and are trying to get a few more finishing touches accomplished before we start focusing on upkeep- because, as we all know, a house is always in a constant state of disrepair.

A Party

Yes- it happened. We finished phase 1 of our project and we had a housewarming/30th Birthday party. It was a blast. 65 people- Wonderful, gracious, friends, filled our home with love. We are so blessed. I am so happy that my life is no longer a construction nightmare. The house is clean, and lovely, and fully air-conditioned.

Monday, Dave and I TOOK THE DAY OFF! Had a picnic, took a bike ride and went to bed early! I couldn't be happier. Here are a few shots of the evening.

A Day of Bobcattery

The backyard prior to heavy machines and a few videos from the day:

The BOBCAT is Coming!

We rented one of these . . .

. . .and tomorrow we will transform the mud puddle into something that looks more like this:

The Gardens

A few pictures of the yard.

Random Items

I have sheetrocked ceilings in the kitchen! Very exciting news! Dave rented a drywall helper-thing/jack- I don't know what you call it, but it's like having two extra sets of hands, hopefully making his job easier. I'm excited to go home and not see floor joists! The place is starting to resemble a home!


Things are going well otherwise. He ripped up all of the concrete in the backyard to get us ready for that project . . . and then is POURED for DAYS. The backyard could have been a certified mud wrestling pit, and I damn near opened it up for a tourney. Alas, I did not. It's drying out now, so we should be able to get in there soon.


I signed up for the Capitol Hill Classic this coming weekend. I will only be running the 3k and I'm nervous! Most people consider that a warm-up but I'm not much of a runner, so we'll see how I do!

It's Springtime!

We have a beautiful tree. . . well, it's not OUR tree, but it does hang over our backyard. I'd imagine the tree, which is rooted two houses down, is about 5o feet tall. It had some very low hanging branches, so we decided to have it trimmed back. The yard is brighter, and we get more sun in the house!

The front yard is looking amazing. I need to take some pictures- it seems it's been raining for DAYS! I'm happy for it, and I know the plants are as well. As they say, April showers bring May flowers!

365 Days Later

Wow! It's been a long time since I wrote. So much to report! We're with bathroom! We're with kitchen! We're with new red oak stairs and recessed lighting . . .the list goes on. It's really quite amazing. Tomorrow will mark the anniversary of closing. I can't believe where a year has taken us. My husband is an absolute wiz at this stuff now. The progress is all due to him. I love that I'm married to a man who is literally building our home.

I'm still a helper monkey. I hold the flashlight, cut drywall, hand him tools, sweep up the messes. . . you know the deal. I love doing those things because there's not too much I can screw up!

My garden in the front is thriving- so many of the previous owner's tulips have popped back up. They're very nice. I'm excited about spring planting- I think I'll venture out to the little patch between the sidewalk and the street. It is in need of a little TLC.

I'm very excited for the next few months and for all of the work that will be accomplished. We will start working on the backyard in the coming weeks. I can't wait for that. It's going to be such a great addition to the house. We're so happy about the place. It's all coming together. 2008 has blessed us.