OMG we have countertops!!!

The post title says it all!  Our kitchen is now about 90% complete.  Just plumbing hookup and exhaust fan and adding the toe kick and deco strips. Sorry about the Iphone pics being a little blurry.

I need to clean them up and let the caulk dry to a clear color, but I'm so excited!! Its amazing to have countertops after more than 6 months.

Ironfest 2011

We have a 9 game season ticket package  to the local Single A baseball team, Cal Ripken's Ironbirds. They open up the stadium 1 time a year and we get to walk around the field and dugouts and clubhouses.  It was a fun day!

 Standing under the board.

 Getting ready to make a call to the bullpen!

Taking an important call in the outfield :)

Other going ons.

I turned in my CSA payment for Rousedale Farms- a local organic farm with chickens and eggs too so we can have fruits and veggies all summer starting in May. 

And I got my Zoya vegan all natural nail polish!  I love my new colors plus they were BOGO!!!!

Updates galore!

So since I got my new Iphone I've been lazy updating this blog since I can post directly to Facebook but I figured its time to update.  We have come a long way and are close to being done.  We just need to assemble the lazy susan and add 2 more cover panels and then we are ready for the granite countertops and getting our sink and plumbing and dishwasher back yay!!!! Some pics!~

 Black Pearl Granite

Cabinet update

For those still following this long haul reno, we have all our base cabinets built and some are installed.  Ikea really does like their instructions.  The corner base cab came with an instruction manual with like 35 pages and not a single word, just pictures.  Seriously bless the husband since I could never have built that thing haha. 

We also had to do a little plumbing work since we had to cut and reinstall the water lines to be able to put the base cabinet for the sink in place.  Fingers crossed, no leaks yet though it did involve working til midnight on Monday and 2 trips to the Home Depot.
Some pics of the process and a first look at the cabinet color with the floors.  Amazing and I'm in love! I have more fun pics but they are somehow stored on my camera and not the memory card :(

Target Clearance Deals

Wow I just finished sorting through all the Target clearance deals I scored this week.  It must be the month for marking down textiles including bedding and table linens. Here are a few of my great finds and seriously check your local Target!

The Thomas O'Brien Vintage Modern line at Target-2 King Duvets and 2 King Shams in each pattern.  Duvets are marked down from $80 to $19 and shams are marked down from $25 to $4-$6 each.

I also got this comforter set marked down to $24 for the King comforter and 2 King shams. I'm debating keeping this. I like a comforter and its super soft and comfy but I worry about the white background getting dirty and my washer can't handle a King comforter.



I also got a Fieldcrest Luxury steel gray blue colored pintucked King duvet marked down from $109 to $13 with a coordinating sham for $4 down from $34.  No pics yet.

These all work in our master since our curtains are just white and our paint is a neutral tan color.

I also got all new Bath hardware for the hall bath at 50% off -towel bar, tp holder, face/hand towel ring, tooth brush holder, and a robe holder.  That small cosmetic reno was already planned so this a great find.

I got a new table cloth marked down to $5 from $20. And new cork placemats in the same pattern for $1.25 a piece. I like to use the cork placements when the father in law comes to dinner since he tends to bang his wine glass around :)

I also got 3 cute throw pillows for $6 a piece (1 is from Nordstroms) that will go with the (1)Pale Sky duvet and 2 with the new couch I'm working on acquiring..details to come:)

I also have 2 of these king shams for $6 each. I'm debating keeping them to have them go with a white duvet cover for this summer.

I also picked up 2 red Fieldcrest Lux Euro shams to accent to our existing winter comforter set for $4 marked down from $34 each.

And lastly ( I think ;)) I got a few packs of these Dwell Studio cloth napkins for $2.50 a pack.  We are switching to cloth napkins and while they had a ton of different patterns on sale, I liked these and they will hide stains and go with the cute outdoor green/brown placements I got for .98 cents each today too.

Target seriously has a ton of stuff on clearance now and I have 2 full bags in the car awaiting return.  Extra cloth napkins, table clothes, some shams and curtain panels I couldn't find matches for etc.  My tip is to visit all Targets in your area (I went to 6 all within 45 mins of me during my regular errands runs) and buy anything you think you might like and then put it all together and sort when you get home.  For example, one Target had one of the duvets and 1 set of shams but not matching and another Target had the matching shams for the other duvet and acutally had the duvet that matched the other store's shams.  I ended up with a few odds and ends that I couldn't use (like a gorgeous grey velvet window panel but what am I gonna do with 1 window panel?) and these are all easily returned if you save your receipt. And you find stuff at later stores that you like better than previous stuff or you change your mind or have to curb your spending to somewhat stay in line with your budget when you add all the tickets together like me ...opps :(.   But I've been wanting new bedding and these specific ones for over a year, so it was worth the effort. 

Oh and I did splurge on a CD-The Soundtrack of Mad Men for $9.99 and we needed a new furnace filter that was on sale for $9.99. ..two of my biggest $$ purchases of the day haha.

Oh and the best part-all of this shopping was done in the Target version of the Rabbit scooter with the ankle cast.  Let's say I ran into/damaged several displays and ran out of battery and had to putter my way slowly to the service phones next to the price scanners to have someone bring me a new Rabbit:)

Final Floor Pics-taken at night.

Here are the final floor pics. I took these at night so the artificial light doesn't really do them justice to their true beauty but I couldn't wait!  I like dark floors best but our space couldn't handle dark floors since it would just make it look smaller so these are a nice compromise-a mix of light and dark. I take some more in the daytime:)  I know I'm obsessed but I'm in love and our house doesn't even feel like the same house anymore. It feels like a totally new place.  I can't wait to move some of our family room furniture back and hang curtains etc but until this ankle heals it ain't happening!

A lovely pic of the powder room but it shows their detail work around the toilet hole.  Really nice tight cuts. Oh and Mr. Lee replaced the baseboards in the powder room for us for free since when we took out the old vanity it didn't have baseboards behind it.

Floors are in!!!!

Mr. Lee and his helpers came bright and early Monday mornin at 8am and were done by 1:30 and cleaned up and out of here by 2. They were amazing especially for the price. I don't have final pics yet since my camera is full and I need a new memory card but enjoy the progress pics. And hopefully some videos that show how loud everything was all day ! I'm so happy with them.

Let's remember the before several months ago!

 And now for the durings!

 The more modern option to a traditional threshold-they turn the wood opposite and so it sit evens with the carpet. Much more natural to walk on and looks cooler :)

 And now some videos to show you how we lived for a few hours!