Little by little....

Things are moving right along, and honestly, it's almost done!  They are staining and polying the floors this week so we have to stay out until it dries.  Then, the kitchen goes in.  Then a re-roll of paint (walls and trim), the counters , plumber  and some "punch out" things (aka-things that get forgotten or need fixing) and we are DONE! 


This part had me biting my nails a bit.  I ordered this out of a stair parts catalog and while I could picture it in my head, I was HOPING it was going to turn out that way!   The stair guy said no one has ever ordered iron newels from him nor the panels.  So I had no pictures to see if I liked it or not.   Just a drawing of all the parts in a catalog.   I'm very, very happy with how it turned out! :)


Progess so far..............

sneak peek of the mudroom!

And this leads to the basement.  We opted to keep it open and put a doorway at the bottom of the stairs.  This of course was before it was stained.  And he had just put it all in , hence the sign!  

XOXO

Happy Birthday Johnny and Kris!

My boys turned 10 on Saturday, TEN!  I can't believe it.  I can't believe that a decade has gone by since we became parents to these beautiful boys.....

Posing on the kitchen floor for a quick picture!

And best of all, blowing out candles with our family!!!

Can you tell the boys like wrestling?!?! 

XOXO

Happy New Year! (and a book review)

Happy New Year!!!  I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas season and New Year.  Ours was definitely different, but we enjoyed it just the same!

Now for my book review.   I just got done with this book and I think everyone with kids or grand kids should read this book.   Despite the title, it is not a Christian book.  It is one mothers view of juggling it all, career, motherhood, activities and etc.  And her active role in learning how to say no and limiting all the things that impact on our true quality time with the limited amount of time we have in our kids lives.  

I have done some of what she is talking about in the book before I even started reading it. 

I think even if you don't agree with everything in this book you will still enjoy it!   Parenting is HARD work!!!

  It's a very easy and quick read.

I just ordered her second book  The Gift of an Ordinary Day.     I believe this is "part 2" of her life when her kids are getting older, teenagers and etc.  And I can't wait to read it!

Things are moving right along at the new house.  This week the railings are going in and I think they are starting to stain the floors.  Will be sharing pictures soon!

XOXO



Getting closer and closer...

I really hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We really tried to enjoy it as much as we could knowing it would be our last one in this house!  Of course 48 hours later an agent wanted to show our house to someone, so the stress is back on! UGH!   But choosing to look at the bright side, tomorrow will make two showings since Christmas!  Hallelujah!

Here are some updated pictures of the house!  Truth be told, they are a lil old!  I didn't mean for that to rhyme either!  But this is what I have to show for today!

The mudroom, which was originally supposed to be the laundry room.  That is until I moved the laundry upstairs and made this little space the "landing pad" of our new home.  Hopefully our little cubbies and cabinets (those shelves will be covered by doors soon!)  will keep us organized.  And below the benches are shelves for shoes! YAY!

This is a shot of the coffered ceiling in the Study.  This will be a multi-use room for our books, games and piano.  It is directly to the left when you walk in the front door.  Small room but cozy and will serve its purpose.

             This is a shot of the Master bathroom shower!  Still have to decide on a
                        shower door!  Nothing like waiting until  last minute!

This is the brick detail in the keeping room fireplace.  Our awesome mason used the same stone he used outside along with the same brick.  He cut them in half to make them the same depth as the stone.  He made me a herringbone hearth too! Vince, you ROCK!

Here is the keeping room fireplace all completed!  I stained and sealed the mantle myself.  Everyone thought I had made a mistake when they opened the box for the mantle.  But I wanted a rustic, non-fussy mantle in here.  Hope it works like I thought it would in my head!

And the beams in the keeping room that our very talented carpenter made!  I originally was going to go with real re-claimed barn wood.  But the sheer weight (and price) scared me.  So he made them out of pine and we stained it and voila, beams!

Here is the family room fireplace which is not painted yet, but will be soon!  They are starting on painting all the trim tomorrow!  The wood floors area all in and ready to be stained.  Things are moving right along!

Those of you that are still reading, in spite of my very long absences, THANK YOU!   I have been spreading myself very thin lately, but I think we are on the home stretch of this! 
XOXO

Merry Christmas and prayers for a friend!

I had every intention tonight to show off my baking and write the so many things I am thankful for this Christmas.

After having an EXTREMELY crappy day.  And trying to make up for it, to my poor children who sadly were at the brunt of it.   I sat down to regroup and catch up on my blog reading, but click on facebook first.  I  then found out that my dear friend Edie from
Life in Grace  had a horrible house fire a couple of days ago.  While I do not know all the details, I do think they lost everything.  But they all got out and they are safe.     I am asking my blog friends to please keep Edie and her family in your prayers.  If you haven't visited her blog before, please do.  She is loving, caring, funny, Christ-loving, southern girl, who can bake up a storm!!!    I am praying for her and hoping she posts to let us know how they are doing!  Again, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

We are hosting Christmas Eve dinner and then spending Christmas Day at my parents house.   So I am leaving  you with this message......

Ready to show!

I realize that I should probably be posting our Thanksgiving pictures, or better yet our Christmas decorations (which leave A LOT to be desired this year).   But instead I'm patting myself on the back for whipping this house into somewhat of shape so we can list it!  Two weeks ago on a Sunday morning,  I got a phone call before I even got out of bed that someone wanted to see our house that WEDNESDAY!!!   Can you say S T R E S S E D out?  We almost KILLED ourselves cleaning and touch up painting.  I wouldn't say it was DONE, done, but good enough.   They came to look and turns out our house was too small for them!   Oh well, hopefully it will be perfect for someone once we actually get it on the market! 

Things are moving right along at the new house.  The wood floors are done upstairs (but not stained, just down)  and they are coming this week to lay the downstairs.  The lights are going in at the same time.  And then the floors will be finished and we will put the kitchen in and be DONE!!!  Can you imagine?  DONE?  Oh my!!!!!

Anyway, I thought I would share some pictures of the "finished" product.  I know there are rooms I probably have never posted on my blog.  Just realizing that!  

If you would like to move to Upstate NY, I have a nice place to show you! :)

Here we are in the foyer, from the the kitchen looking at the front door

If you walk in my front door and look to your right, this is the study

Doesn't normally look this dark, I just refuse to use flash!!

And walk back the study and look to your right again and it is the powder room (aka 1/2 bath)

   If you are walking in my front door and look to your left, you will see the living room

And then beyond the living room is the dining room

Standing in the dining room doorway to the kitchen, this is your view to the kitchen and family room

Family room , you all have seen the kitchen and if not, there are photos HERE  :)

View from the back of the family room into the kitchen

Extremely crappy shot of the laundry room!

Working our way upstairs from the foyer

                                          View of the upstairs hallway from the stairs

Madi's room which is to your left of the above sideboard

         The main bath which is the kids bath

One of my favorite rooms in the house, Johnny and Kris's room, SO cozy!  A lil cluttered, but we like it that way. ;) 

View to the Family room from the overlook right outside of J&K's room

                     4th bedroom doubling as the toy storage room!

    Master bedroom, walking in the door

       Walking into the master bathroom

I know the single bowl and vanity vs. double bowls will hurt us for sale reasons.......

   The view going back downstairs!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!  Would love any input on anything you think I should do to make it more "appealing".  I have TRIED like heck to de-personalize.  That is much harder than I thought......   Please pray for a quick sale!!!! :)
XOXO