Wintry Mix For Sure!

The weather forecasters had been predicting, since the middle of last week, that we were going to get a wintry mix in our area beginning Sunday night. Usually when they forecast snow or ice that far in advance nothing ever happens. Well, sure 'nough, they got it right this time! School was canceled, but Kristen still had to go in to work today. Thanks to Nick and his dad, Chuck, for driving her up to Griffin. She said the roads were awful and they drove 30 mph all the way. Nick and Chuck did make it back to Thomaston safely. Hmmm...wonder how she's going to get back home after her shift is over at 7:30 tonight???

Looks like snow but when you walk on it, it crunches like ice.

Iced covered snow?

A little snow with ice.

When I took the dogs out around 7:45 this morning, it was still sleeting a little and it was cold! Kami was shaking so badly that I thought she was going to break! Charkee was tip toeing through the snow and was acting like she had a sandspur in her paws. She hates getting her feet wet and cold! Then there is Kolle. She disappeared and I have no idea where she went. I took the other two in and went back out to look for her. She finally showed and smelled of cat poop! I guess she was getting an early morning snack...yuck!

Cleaning Day!

Kristen and I spent most of the day trying to organize things upstairs. While I don't love cleaning, I hate living in clutter worse. The first thing on my agenda today was to clean the upstairs bathtub. Oh my! That tub was a major backache! After trying all sorts of cleaners I finally decided to pull out a pumice stone. Two hours later, I had a sparkling clean tub! I dare anyone to leave a ring in that tub now!

Lots of elbow grease and a pumice stone did the trick!

Loving a clean, functional bathroom.

After I finished cleaning the tub, Kristen helped me organize the rest of upstairs. We had boxes stacked all over the place so we began tackling them and got some of them unpacked. We then set up our mini kitchen in the hall. Since we have no kitchen, Doug and I feel like we are back in college living in a dorm (this dorm room is a lot nicer and bigger than the ones I lived in).

Our new mini kitchen.
Coffee pot and microwave on the left.
Bread, grits, granola bars, and spices in the center.
Wine glasses, wine, and fruit on the right.
Refrigerator is still downstairs.

We then set up a small dining area in one of the bedrooms. We have to have a place to eat other than on the bed!

Our dining room.

 We then worked on unpacking our clothes and shoes and organizing our closets. I still need to do more work on organizing the clothes but at least now we don't have to dig through boxes trying to find things.

I feel like I'm in DSW with such a wonderful shoe closet!

Doug has his own closet.

The bedrooms are clutter free and its so nice to look around and not have boxes all over the place (well, there are still a few left).

Kristen's bedroom.

Our dorm bedroom. Kami is checking out the mattress.
The window treatments are temporary. We had to have something
to give us some privacy until we decide what we really want.

 While we were cleaning and organizing, Ricky, Britton, and the sheetrockers were downstairs putting in windows and sheet rock.

New windows and sheet rock in master bedroom.

This is a before picture of the windows in the master bedroom.

Outside of house after new bedroom windows were installed.

Before bedroom windows were moved.

 Weather forecasters are predicting a major winter storm in our area tomorrow night and Monday. I asked Doug yesterday before I came home if we would be able to have a fire in our fireplace this weekend. He laughed and me and said, "Not with all the stuff in the great room". I didn't really believe him until I got home and took a look.

Nope, don't think we'll be building a fire in the fireplace
this weekend.

What a Busy Week!

This week has been very busy, especially for Doug and even more so for Ricky and crew. We began packing up our bedroom, bathroom, closet, and TV room/Kristen's downstairs bedroom on Wednesday. Doug began around 1:00 Wednesday and I began helping around 7:00 that night after I finally got home. Doug must have walked up and down the stairs a million times that day/night. We finally wrapped things up around midnight. Thanks to Lynn English for sending us soup and cornbread for supper...we ate at midnight and it was delicious!

I know Ricky was so glad that we cleared things out downstairs so he could begin the demolition/construction of those rooms. Things have changed drastically since Wednesday.

Before TV Room

TV room with new windows, no paneling on walls, and no flooring.

After TV Room

Canned lighting added in TV Room

Laundry Room

Laundry room with new window and sheetrock

Before of Tub in Master Bath

After tile was remove around tub in master bath

Tub in master bath has been moved

Where tub was in master bath.

 

Before of vanity in master bath

Where vanity and linen closet were in master bath

Counter top with sink that was in master bath...its now in the yard.

Floor in master bath

Old windows with blinds in master bath

Blinds are gone and two new windows (on left) have been
installed in master bath.

Before of double windows in master bedroom

After sheetrock has been removed around double windows
in master bedroom

After double windows have been boarded up in master bedroom.
New windows will be installed to left and right of where double
windows were.

Sheetrock installed on kitchen walls and ceilings.

Sheetrock on ceiling/walls in greatroom

No more exposed insulation on kitchen/greatroom ceilings/walls

The upstairs bedroom we are now occupying

Charkee and Kolle checking out the bed upstairs.

 Even though we have moved upstairs, we are still living out of boxes. After downstairs is finished, we will move back down there so no need to unpack to have to just pack it back up again. The house now has a wonderful glue aroma from all the sheetrock other work that has been done. I'm glad that the upstairs rooms are nice and big. It makes living in just two rooms so much easier! Doug is still cooking on the grill, which I'm very thankful for. Neither one of us loves eating takee outee or fast food!

Closet Shelves!

I think after all this renovation is done, Doug and I should be the most organized people in the world. Ricky has built the most amazing shelving in the three closets upstairs and is now working his magic in the closet under the stairwell downstairs! When I came home today, this is what the closet under the stairs looked like...

New flooring, walls, and shelving was added.

Shot of closet under stairwell.

Also, the steps on the stairs have a new look. Now I don't worry as much about the pups falling down the stairs. If they do fall, they won't have an "Alice In Wonderland" fall. 

No looking into the closet from this view any more

 In addition to the construction inside, the foundation for the dining room and covered porch was poured. 



We're Home!

We are back home after being gone for a week. Kristen and Nick brought us dinner and we settled in for our first meal in our new kitchen.

Kristen serving our dinner.
Don't you just love our table and chairs!

Our menu? LaFiesta!

New Year! New Insulation! New Lighting! Rotten Board!

Happy New Year!
Earlier this week, the ceiling in the kitchen and great room was torn out and the sheet rock in the kitchen was ripped out.  New insulation has been added and electrical wiring and new lighting has been put in.

Great room ceiling with new insulation and lighting.

Kitchen ceiling has new insulation.
Electrical wiring and lighting has been redone in kitchen.
The kitchen flooring has been ripped up. Hardwood flooring will installed.

The wall between the laundry room and kitchen has new insulation added.

The area where the deck was has been cleaned up.

Unfortunately, there was a rotten board in this area.