Giants in the Land

I'm stressing about getting this house done.  I'm super excited about the way it's coming together, but every time I go out there I have a mild panic attack and wonder how we are going to get it all finished in a month.  Anxiety is building.

We are going through the book of Exodus on Sunday mornings and the sermon this past Sunday was about how God is able.  I keep telling myself that He's got it under control and has provided abundantly thus far.  He has provided.  We never dreamed we'd find a place like this in our price range.  I know it was rough, but we got an incredible deal.  We sold our house less than two weeks after we posted the "for sale by owner" sign in the yard and moved less than a month later... Right during the time when my parents could help us.  He provided.  I didn't know how we would find a place to rent.  The check list seemed impossible: safe neighborhood, three rooms, budget friendly, for just a few months, close to the house, within a limited time....He provided within just a few days of us looking.  Also, unlike most renovations that you hear about we have been on budget and been under budget on a lot of big things that made it where we could do other things that we wanted to do... God provided.  He had blessed us with people who have given generously of their time to helped Josh at the house on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis.  The list just goes on and on: God is a good provider.

Before when I've studied the children of Israel I've felt judgment for a people who saw the Red Sea part and still chose to question God's provision and power. As we study the book of Exodus now I'm finding that I'm not quite as harsh on them.  I see my own anxiety after the way God had worked.  Every time I go to the house and get panicky I'm like the children of Israel telling Moses "...But there are giants in the land". 

In many ways the painting, flooring, and cleaning still feel like giants. God didn't deny that there were giants. He only wanted faith from His people that He would overcome the giants.  I'm starting to tell myself what was preached Sunday and what God has already proven to me...He is able. 

Desk Nook

This is just a short post of the before pictures and inspiration pictures of what will hopefully be a beautiful desk nook in the lIving room part of what I call "the great room"!  We have a small space between the wall and fireplace that I've been dreaming up plans for... 

Before picture

More recent before picture after the fireplace was stoned.  Love this fireplace!

And here are a couple inspiration pictures...

We bought a 15in cabinet that will be the base similar to the bottom picture and I'm thinking shelves like the top picture at the top!  I love how stuff like this really gives your room more character and storage!  What do you think?

Weekend Update

The painting has begun.  Honestly, we didn't get as much painting done as we had hoped.  Mostly because Josh was ranting at the sprayer.  It was just wasting too much of our time so we ended up taking it back to Lowe's.  The old roller and brush will have to do.

Huge thanks to my father in law who watched the kids while I went and worked.  I think it's the first time Josh and I have had a work day together.  It was so much fun to work on the house as a team and be able to talk and dream together! 

My goal for the day was to work on the windows... Which were just disgusting.  I think the previous owner must have cooked with A LOT of grease because there was a brown sticky film over the entire window (really the whole house).  I brought my Method all purpose cleaner and got to work.  The results were disheartening.  I scrubbed, reapplied, and scrubbed some more, but it just wasn't budging.  I started to get this sick feeling that it had soaked into the metal and I was going to have to live with it.... Until I went down stairs and got the Krud Kutter. Someone at Lowes had recommended it to me for cleaning my cabinets before painting when I did the cabinets in our Lexington house.  I had grabbed it at some point during a Lowes run and had it at the house since we have some old cabinets I was going to practice on with the sprayer.

This stuff is AMAZING. You spray it on and wipe it clean.  I was giddy.  I walked around the house cleaning windows and sounding like Billy Mays!  

I tried multiple times to get a good before and after picture, but since it was a inside window and super bright outside, the lighting was dark inside and bright outside.  Here's a before picture, but it doesn't do justice to the grime that was present on the windows.

After cleaning and one coat of primer on the window trim.

While Josh and I were painting Uncle Tommy and cousin Eric were doing some strong work on the down stairs!  We found that if you threaten them with a roller, they work like dogs everywhere else!  I'm just kidding, honestly, they are just very skilled and they did things that require two people and Josh can't do by himself.  They finished hanging the doors and got the garage finished out and hung some drywall in the basement! It looks awesome!

Still a lot of painting to do upstairs!  More updates soon!

Things are about to get REAL!

The title says it all.  Any normal person who would happen upon,basically any room in the house, would look at me with pity and say "Girl, you got a long way to go." However, considering where we've come from, things are really wrapping up!  Here are a few before pictures just to remind you where we started...

Gross.  Moving on.  

This is probably one of my favorite update posts bc these are the most visual changes we've had,at least for a long time.  It also gives you a better place to jump from when it comes to imagining the finished product.  First, the cabinets are hung!

Thanks to many helping hands last weekend these are up and I love all the kitchen space!  Josh and friends have also gotten the base for the tile counter top attached.  It really gives you a great feel for the bar area, which is the entire peninsula.  It's a huge bar, easily can seat 7-8 people...More if you really like each other. The counter section where the sink is at is four feet wide and it's three feet everywhere else.  So.much.counter.space.  

The counters are going to be tile. We actually used the exact tile for our Lexington house counter tops and really liked them.  It's a fraction of the cost of any custom counter top and even a little cheaper than the laminate counter tops.  The tile are 24in square and a dark gray.  The edges are going to be a dark stained wood and the back splash is a gorgeous white tile that I'm in love with!  It won't let me insert those pictures here so see them at the end.

The kitchen is just really starting to look like a kitchen, and an amazing one at that!  

As I was walking through the basement I noticed that the appliances were sitting out and had been taken of of the boxes... It hit me that they would be going in the kitchen in a few short weeks!  For some reason that made things seem more real for me.  

Lastly, here are a few pictures of what will be an amazing laundry room.  Right now it's not so amazing, but give us a few months of living here and it's going to knock your socks off... As much as a laundry can at least.

 I'm sure I will have another update soon, we will be painting this weekend!  Holy guacamole, that's going to be a total game changer!

This is the tile for the kitchen back splash.  Its a bright white.

This is the counters at our Lexington house. The same tile and counter rail, but a much prettier backsplash.

BTW, if this is not an impressive post then check back next time for what it's all going to look like with a coat of paint!

Quick Update

The dry wall is pretty much done!!  Let the painting begin!  The tubs, sinks, and bathroom facets are in working order!  The kitchen cabinets are going into place tomorrow... Hopefully. 

There is just a ton of cabinet space and counter top space, especially considering what I'm use to.  Plus, there's a good size pantry!  Can't wait to cook in this kitchen! It's also perfect for entertaining since the living room is right across the peninsula.

Just a quick reminder of what this space looked like before... It use to be three smaller rooms...kitchen, dining and living room.  Now it's one beautiful open space!  I know it's not what it will be, but we've come a long way!

March House Update

We are getting to more of the fun stuff!  Still some more dry wall work to go, but we are getting there!  The bathrooms are coming together!  We have the bathroom floors done and the master tub is tiled, it looks beautiful!

Just a little drywall work, bead board, paint and toilet and vanity installation and the bathrooms are finished!

The floors are bought and ready to go down after the painting is finished.  They are a 6in board of dark bamboo and gorgeous! 

The cabinets are also coming along and Josh has started installing them.  They obviously need paint, but I'm excited that the kitchen is taking shape!

We are REALLY hoping to get moved in by the end of next month!  The basement is probably not going to be finished much at all by then, but we are ready to be moved. It's not looking like the sunroom will be finished either since we've had all this crazy weather and haven't been able to pour concrete.  Right now we are focusing on getting the living areas livable and the rest will just get done later.  On the up side, we are flying my mom up to help us out with the kids for the last two weeks of April!