Drywalling - What an adventure!

My sister and I are putting up drywall where I had windows replaced - can't tell you how many years ago and the ex never patched the walls.  So, I figure I am woman, hear me roar or some such thing as that - Towanda!  We went to Lowe's and had them cut to our measurements, but the guy had a tude to begin with, then he seemed to settle down.  When we got back to my house we had to re-trim the one piece we got up by 1/4 inch along the long side and about that much off the short end.  I have before pictures (above) and after pictures (below).

I know I still have to mud and tape and sand and mud again and sand...but really, I am so proud of me and my sister!  We still have 2 more places to fill/patch with dry wall, but we can do this. I may not get it completely done by the time my kids come home for Christmas, but it will look a little better than it did.

Oh, and we baked cookies too!  Talk about multitasking - again, hear us roar!  LOL - A little at a time and it will get done.  I tell you what...it feels good to be able to accomplish even a little bit of what you hope to and God Bless me, I feel good.

Peanut Blossom cookies, some with Kisses and some with Rolos - can't see those, they are at the bottom.
Sorry.  I am having a cookie exchange at work tomorrow and the company is providing pizza and salad.
Oh, and by the way I took these with my new digital camera I bought myself - Merry Christmas to me.
So, I am sure there will be more pictures to come and stories to tell.

Meeting my Great Nephew for 1st time!

Okay, it is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and we are going to my middle sister's home in WV to meet our great nephew for the first time.  My baby sister and I are sooo excited to meet him and he was 5 1/2 months old!  Here come the pictures:

Here is Levi and Grammie, Mom and his 2 great Aunts think he is teething.  Look at the wide eyed boy!

Here is mom, Grammie, and Grandpa (in the background).  We had sooo much fun with this little guy.

He squeals when he is happy.  Grammie can get him to laugh by saying some phrases and do you know if anyone else said them - No reaction at all.  Grammie must have the magic in her voice.  The bib Levi is wearing was made by his Great, Great Auntie.

I know he is ready to talk, and crawl and then run - get ready world here comes Levi!  Love you great Nephew!  So glad I was able to finally meet you.

Thanksgiving 2012

Okay, I meant to take lots of pictures but you will see I only took a few.  Had family over: my daughter, her husband, my sister and her daughter.  We had a great feast: turkey, stuffing, cranberry/pineapple salad, broccoli salad, garlic rosemary smashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and rolls.  Yummy.  I took a few pictures, like I said...first family meal in my new kitchen/dining room.

My daughter and her husband getting cemented Pecan Pie out of the pie dish for dessert.

My sister relaxing after the meal and everyone else has gone home...just the 2 sisters - full tummies and enjoying the blessings of another year.

that's all folks - glad you stopped by for my post - May God Bless you and your family.

Tastefully Simple

I went to my first ever party last night.  I had fun sample tasting the various dips and breads that are offered by Tastefully Simple.  Spent way too much, but ordered some really good marinades and dips.  The consultant made the gathering fun and enjoyable.  Did not push for you to have a party yourself (which I do not do parties in my home).  Learned my lesson a long time ago about that and if you are curious you will have to ask me sometime about that experience.  The consultant was fun and energetic.  The dips and breads that the party host made were very tasty.  The wine and pink lemonade were also refreshing.  It was a fun gathering of women and eating ~ what better is there?

Renovation Tease #3

I am posting a couple of pics that show a few of the new stuff done on my kitchen/bathroom renovation

Here is a pic with the part of the tile in the kitchen backsplash put up as 1 row above my shower stall...

Here is the improved picture after Danner Tan has been painted on the walls above the tile as shown in the previous picture.

here is a what my drawer pulls and knobs look like on my kitchen cabinets - hand rubbed bronze.

here is the base of my new dining table - darkened maple with a spice color stain.  This table and 6 side chairs took 10 weeks for the Amish to build after I placed my order.  I love them!

Well, I should have another week to 1- 1/2 weeks and everything should be complete - then I hope to put on my blog a couple of videos...so stay tuned.

Kitchen/Bath renovation update

Got home last night and my disposal is working, the dishwasher is working, the ice maker is working, the undercounter lights were up!  My pendant light still needs to go up.  One light switch needs to be connect for my outside back yard light.  The hardware on my cabinets still need to go on...so pictures soon!

Oh and my door is up on the bathroom, painting should be starting today.  1 row of tile around the top of the shower stall.  Light still needs to be put up over vanity, flooring needs to go down and my stackable washer/dryer will be delivered next Tues.

Yep, Yep, Yep the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter!!!!

Kitchen Renovation Tease

Well I got home last night after work and my tile backsplash was up and will be grouted on Thursday.  I am not posting pictures until after that of the new look...I am teasing you just a little with this information.

It looks soooooo nice and the glass tile between the stove and hood looks so pretty!  My renovations are getting closer to ending - Praise the Lord.

I bought a new stackable washer and dryer last Saturday.  They are Crosley, which are made by Frigedair.  I bought them from a local Mom & Pop store that has been in business for 85 years.  So much nicer experience than going to one of the mega stores.  Free delivery and take away of my old washer/dryer AND much better prices.

Catch you later with more pictures!

Bathroom Renovation

Now onto the bathroom which has been reconfigured and gave up a closet from the bedroom next door for the laundry area to be moved from my basement up to the main floor...but let us look back at what I had.

Okay this is from the doorway, the vanity has been removed and ah yes the 1955 Avocado green toilet and tub with shower.  The shower surround off the walls and in the bathtub.

Medicine cabinet above the vanity is out of here!

Toilet, tub, tile and flooring outa here too.  The wall has been removed between the bathroom and the bedroom closet (see the hole on the left?).

okay, bathroom walls gutted and a new half wall put up for the 48" shower stall to be installed on this end of the bathroom.

My new shower stall - it is big and so shiny and nice, can't wait to be able to use it.  Still has a piece of cardboard protecting the floor while some mudding is going on.

corner opposite of the toilet where the tub used to be and where my new vanity will be going...

Wainscotting also going in the bathroom but at 50" high, see my new WHITE toilet?  It is supposed to be able to flush a bucket of golf balls - hope to never have to try it out.  It is the 17" seat height.

Here is my new bathroom vanity, the wainscotting still needs to be primed and painted white.  I forgot to tell you that the upper walls will be painted Danner Tan and I will be putting the same flooring in the bathroom as was put in the kitchen.

Here is where my stackable washer/dryer will be living and this is before and to the left of where the toilet is.

Here is the space above my shower stall that the 6" being cut off of the tile in the kitchen will be going, at least 1 row and I am praying 2 rows.  There will still be wall above to paint the Danner Tan.

I will update as the walls get painted and laundry get put in...I still cannot believe this is the same bathroom.  Oh, and the vanity basin is the same as my countertops in the kitchen and it looks wonderful!!!!!

Eating Area Renovation

Okay, now here we go with the other end of my kitchen which is my eating area...Remember there used to be knotty pine tongue and groove painted glossy black under fake paneling chair rail.

Drywall going up and preparing the walls...This doorway goes to my living room...

this is the other side of the room, my sliding glass door to my porch at the back of my house....

The wainscotting going up...before being painted....

okay this is with the base boards and chair rail on top, again before being painted....

okay with primer on and the start of the accent color: Cocktail Dress Red - Ohhh I like it!

and here it is, the wall above is a soft gray...it looks so nice...

And the new trim around the sliding glass door, but you can also see the gray...I will have more pictures as the room comes together with curtain and everything else done.

I hope you like this little view of what my kitchen and eating area looked like and what it has been transformed to. 

Kitchen Renovation Part 2

Okay, now I have countertops!!!!  and they are beautiful!!!!  I cried when I saw them last night after work.

closer look and then...

Here is my backsplash tiles - the small ones are going between the stove and the hood, the bigger one is going around the perimeter.  There will be about 6" cut off of the bigger tile and that is going up above my shower stall...at least 1 row, I am hoping for 2 rows.  We will see...

as you can see here is my sink, the side with blue tape has the disposal and that is not hooked up yet, until my dishwasher can be hooked up and that will happen after all the tile backsplash is up...I am soooooo impatient - but it is done in steps and there is a process. 

Renovation of Kitchen

Okay, went in for 2nd knee replacement and the kitchen renovation started...Here is what my kitchen looked like - 1955 ranch, eating area (no formal dining room) - just one long room.  This is the end where the kitchen is/was.

All of my appliances were given to the church for their rummage sale to help make money for the youth missions trip to Belgium.

This is the eating area, where there used to be tounge and groove knotty pine that had at one time been painted glossy black that was hidden behind a fake paneling chair rail.

Demolition begins...

And continues...

And continues with taking down the soffit, because my new cabinets are 42" tall and going to the ceilings.  I do not want any dust catchers or have to put something up on top to decorate - another thing to clean.

First cabinet goes in - excitement is building...

More upper cabinets...

Base cabinets - oh, by the way did I mention there is going to be 20 cabinets, including a PANTRY!

Sink base and I am also getting a built in dishwasher!

this is my pantry and where my refridgerator will be sitting...

Cabinet doors are on...

Doesn't this look like a dream?  I keep praising the Lord and thanking Him for this blessing!

Here the vinyl flooring I chose...to me it looks like sandstone pieces.

Here is with my new stove and range hood in - I love it!!!  Thank you Lord Jesus!!!!

and here is my new fridge and dishwasher.  Now I am waiting on the counter top to be made and installed.  Then the backsplash/tile can be put in, my pendant light over the sink, all the electrical outlets done and the under cabinet lighting - then WOW, my kitchen will be finished. 

I will blog in a couple of days about the eating area - you can see to the left of my pantry a little of the color showing for the wainscotting that is in the eating area...