Inconceivable!

I've been getting added to a bunch of people's circles on Google+ and I'm not sure why or how they found out about me. Then I saw on my profile that I've inexplicably had over 37,000 views? Of what!? I don't even post anything! TELL MEEE

Remember how I renovated my kitchen and we couldn't move the refrigerator into its designated spot yet? Well, my mom's making yet another effort (3rd time's the charm, right?) to have someone git'r'dun. Next Thursday we'll have the contractor remove the ancient swivel door that's blocking our way and he's going to just roll her right on into that kitchen, it's going to go very smoothly. Yes, it will, don't backtalk me, fate.

My mom and I are planning a trip to Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. It's gonna be awesommmmme.

Renovation Update III

These photos are rather dark, so the colors are a bit off... but you get the idea! Here is the kitchen pre-appliance installation!

 Lookin' pretty snazzy! So far, we have had the dishwasher and stove installed. My first cooked meal in the house was potstickers! We wanted it to be either broiled salmon or banana pancakes but my mom wasn't going to be home when I cooked and I didn't want to have anything fancy by myself. Oh, well!

The refrigerator, on the other hand, is still in the garage. The installation people were apparently not qualified to move the refrigerator from the garage to the kitchen, so now I have to call "delivery" people instead. Honestly, with all the money I've been spending, I'm just going to go ahead and wait to schedule that particular appointment. I don't mind going out to the garage to get food for a while.

Some paint touch ups still need to be made to the trim and some of the wall and cabinetry, as well as having my cabinet guy re-drill some of the drawers he messed up on. That was a whole lot of drama I really didn't want to deal with, but at least he's still going to fix it on his own expense. Maybe deep down he knows he effed up even though he's verbally blaming everyone but himself for his mistakes.

I'll probably put in some final photos once all the appliances are in, but this is about it! I'm happy to report that I am no longer brewing coffee in my master bathroom anymore.

Renovation Update II

Lots of fiascos and stresses have been going on at the house over the kitchen renovation. The tile I ordered was poorly represented by the sample piece I used to select it. The sample piece appeared to have a nice, clean look, but when the tile arrived, the other pieces were so much more rustic feeling and it would not have fit in well.

As a result, I had to go tile shopping again and was able to find a replacement for less money and still looks good. It's just a shame that I can't return the other tiles without a massive restocking fee, so I'm saving them for another project in another room for another time.

My mom and I were stressing out about money, and she'd been itching to put her past home on the market, which finally happened this week. The agent she's working with had suggested she paint some of the rooms a grayish color to replace the midtone yellows and greens, only there was yet another fiasco with the painter not getting the right swatch, so the walls looked terribly white against the existing yellow trim and it didn't match the existing floors or fireplace... So we had to tell him to stop and find a new swatch to use, and now the issue has been fixed to some extent, though still ugly and not even gray, which wouldn't look good with yellow, anyway. We wish we could have left it as it was before, which honestly looked a lot better. So sad.

But the cabinets have been put in, the backsplash is up, lighting, sink, faucet, garbage disposal, and dishwasher are all in! Unfortunately we were lead to believe that the dishwasher was ready to use when our carpenter said it's "all hooked up", so when we turned the thing on we were surprised to find smoke instead of water. The water wasn't turned on! At least it was under warranty. That's what they're for, kids. So we have a repair specialist coming this weekend to fix whatever damage we may have caused.

All that is left to do now is tile the floors with the replacement tiles that should be delivered today, installing the rest of the appliances, and adding knobs and pulls into the cabinet door and drawer faces. I expect I should have some before/after photos some time next week! Hooray!

Renovation Update I

After having been without internet or television for over a week now, I've come to realize that there is actually a benefit to this scenario: shit actually gets done. Yep, our to-do projects are actually being checked off. On the other hand, having to do all these projects makes my weekends feel like continuous weekdays. I can't help but look forward to our cable installation next week so I can catch up on my shows. Potatoes gonna potate.

So far I've done a lot of packing and spray painting brass fixtures. There was a whole week of purchasing and returning sink and vent hood products before everyone actually came together and communicated about what could work. That was really frustrating. I had to call and make order cancellations probably five separate times. We figured out why ventilation hasn't been put in before for the range, because there's a structural support beam behind the wall that can't be cut through. The cabinet guy and contractor finally got together and settled on bending the vent into the side cabinet and up through the attic space. Finally.

Also, my mom's upstairs bedrooms are finished being painted a pleasant light green color, and the existing wooden built-in bookcase has been painted a creamy color. I personally would have left it as it was, but it's my mom's room, not mine! Her living room space will be painted today and tomorrow.

The kitchen this week is undergoing some plumbing modifications to reroute water to the refrigerator's ice maker, as well as electrical modifications because that apparently wasn't done correctly when the place was re-wired before.

We're also trying to figure out where the under cabinet lighting will be set for my open shelves. I've been having to shop for lighting this weekend, including a sconce over the window where I decided to go cabinet-free. All of my finishing fixtures have taken on a modern element to the design that I think will work with the space. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing the final product!

What is happening!

Over the last year or so I've been casually reviewing homes for sale on Zillow and Trulia just for funziez. We all know that I want to move out of the house. The problem has been that my mom isn't comfortable living by herself, and so the only way everyone can get what they want (for the most part) is to move into a large home that can be split into two units.

After walking through an open house of a particular home very close to where I work, we saw a lot of potential for us: a two story house that could be split per floor. The only major renovations to be done at some point on the house include an installation of an upstairs kitchen and a second entrance to the second story via outside staircase and deck. Coincidentally, this deck would provide lots of needed shade on that side of the house. The rest is cosmetic updates to the downstairs kitchen and bathrooms that don't have to be done for years if I can't get around to it for a while. It's on a dead-end and tree-lined street, within walking distance of my work and grocery market. You can imagine how excited I am right meow.

At this very moment, my mom is having her handy dandy and knowledgeable ex husband inspect the home for flaws, so we have an idea of how much we can knock off of an offer we may make. My mom is also going to measure the house to create a floor plan that we can plan renovation layouts off of, however neither of us will have renovation money for a while until my mom manages to sell her current home.

WISH ME LUCK I'M SO EXCITED OMG AM I GONNA BE A NEW HOMEOWNER?