{the remodel}

I wasn't planning on being pregnant at the same time as our remodel, but... I was.  So, unfortunately I wasn't able to get all my before pictures.  This sliding glass door replaces 2 original (1940s) single paned windows!  It's so nice to have an entrance to the back!

the new bar 

                   this bar replaces a huge double slatted wall that separated the kitchen from the dining area.

       this is the downstairs bathroom and I don't think I got ANY before framing, but my momma did the
                              framing  for us and it was just completely unfinished when we bought it.

                                                                        my demo crew

 I'd be lying if I didn't admit some of this expression is real.  We ended up pulling all the rest of those slats out and Mike got the 20 layers of floor out and the original floor.  I had really hoped to keep the original in the kitchen and the bathroom but it was coated in about 20 layers of black glue and gunk and lots of nails and screws :(  My dad did come over, however and show us how to get the flooring even with our existing floor which is AWESOME, because I HATE the step up and down even if they are small.  It does kind of tick me off though that the contractor didn't feel this was possible and my kitchen didn't get the same treatment.  Goes back to the philosophy, if you want to have something right, you have to do it yourself. 

We started our remodel on May 1st and it has certainly taken longer than it was supposed to.   They finished by the first of September.  It has been stressful having men in my home all day from about 8am to 3pm.  I tell Mike, it's like having a husband or several husbands in your home all day that you never chose.  Nonetheless, I am so grateful to have been able to finagle the upgrades.  We bought our house at the height of the market so we have negative equity in it right now.  We are hoping this boosts the appraisal enough to benefit us.  Also, it is SO much more functional now and it reflects my style much more than before.  Granted, funds are never unlimited, nor energy, nor babysitters to finish projects.  As I've said here before... this is no HGTV. 

We hired Adolfo Ozaeta to finish our downstairs Master with a very giant walk in closet which has a tv cable in (don't ask me why), a master bath, and bed.  It will be soooo heavenly.  We are having Lowe's do the carpet and are waiting for that in order to finish down there.  It is amazing how much it actually opens the space which is opposite of what I imagined it would do.  What seemed like such a small space unfinished seems so nice, roomy and functional now.  We also had him replace the two dining room windows with a sliding door which is awesome since we had only a side door before.  We had the wall separating the dining room and the kitchen removed and replaced it with a bar for stools and kitchen prep and that is my FAVORITE change we made!  The 80's linoleum got beat out with some much updated tile in the kitchen and that is the it of it.

...And then there was more...  We started ripping out the upstairs bathroom ourselves.  Again... this is no flippin' HGTV!  They make everything look so stinkin' easy on there.  Curse them!  Curse them!  We now have "colds" from the demo and inhalation of 1940's double slatted, plastered walls and dust flying EVERYWHERE!!!  It will be SO nice when it's completed though... think REFINANCE.  Think FUTURE sell...  This is what I keep chanting in my mind... both wakeful and asleep.