...our three beautiful girlies!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

we've moved...

Our address has changed!  We are so excited to finally be official owners of our new home and 28 acres!  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind - packing, remodeling, moving, more remodeling, and more remodeling!  It's amazing the changes that took place in the 10 days we had to renovate and be out of our old house... and we are definately not quite through.  Reason???? Well, my minor changes turned to some major changes, but I have to say, for the better!!  Original plan:  scrape ceilings, cover fireplace, and put new carpet down in bedrooms and tile in master bathroom... Then the painters showed up for a 2-3 day job, and ended up with a 6 day job, thanks to me.  Yes, once they are at work painting, the following is too common a phrase, "Well, might as well do it now, while they are doing everything else..."  HA!  I had my ceilings scraped and painted... plus: new built in cabinets built and repainted, all trim and doors painted, closets painted, two bathrooms hand textured and painted.  I also got my fireplace covered with stone... then added under the bar in the kitchen.  Which led to paint on the kitchen cabinets, and new counter tops.  They patched some holes in my ceiling where I had a furdown wall and cabinets removed, new lighting, new door knobs.  Then came the flooring... it started with tile in the master bath (which was previously carpet!!) and a little patch in front of the fireplace.  Turns out, they could patch that with wood and the "patch" tile (plus the additional tile I ordered) got assigned to the kitchen flooring.  "Might as well do it now," though, RIGHT?! ;)

Results... not quite finished... but AH-MAZING transformation!!!!!  I am really falling in LOVE...


Before:  Ugly fireplace with wood burning insert and cheap cabinets setting on the hearth.  Also, notice ugly patch of tile on floor in front of fireplace. 


And Viola!  After:  Stone covered fireplace, old hearth and columns torn out, stove insert removed, and new built in cabinets.  Still to come, a new hearth and wood flooring in front of the fireplace... no more ugly tile!  Plus, new paint color on walls this week!


Before... There was suede adobe red paint on the wall, brown cabinets, furdown wall with cabinets above bar which left the kitchen feeling extremely tiny and dark.

After!  Furdown wall and cabinets above sink and bar - down!  Brown cabinets - painted fresh dover white!  Stone under bar - bar cut down and lowered to counter height (to make one large counter top/bar instead of raised bar)!  New  stainless range and microwave and my black fridge! 
Still to come... tile floors, granite counter tops and new sink!! Plus, the walls are now hand textured and I am painting them in the next day or two! This is NOT the completed project, but isn't the difference amazing!?

Finally, the last MAJOR change... the master bath...



Before:  Gold fixtures, adobe orange paint, carpet.  Boo!  (Sorry, don't know why it won't turn horizontal!!)



After:  Working on tile (finishing this week), toilet in the bath (temporarily!!), new light fixtures, and hopefully painting trim on shower nickel to match! Don't you LOVE the color!! So "Spa" :) 

Soooooo, as you can see, we are HARD at work!  Still lots to do, and I will post more pics when it all comes together!! 

Monday, July 11, 2011

changes coming...

I must apologize... I have not upheld my promise to keep you updated as planned... Things have been extremely hectic around here - but here is a brief update... can't wait to tell you in more detail :)

We SOLD our house... a total answered prayer.  We had gotten super lazy about praying for direction in our house situation... 8 months on the market... growing girls with multiplying toys... cattle and horses in various locations around town... We were considering staying here and adding on, but really wanted to have all of our livestock in one place, and get out to the country - to our land.  So we prayed really hard about it.  And less than two weeks later, we had a contract on our home!  AND... where we had once wanted to build on our land, we found an older house and 30 acres (our land is around 18) right around the corner connected to another man who wanted to trade... so we did!!  Basically, he is getting our 18 acres to connect to his land, and we are getting his house and 30 acres!!  It is really pretty... an older home (which I find has more charm) that has been updated, but we are adding some "personal touches" to.  It has pipe fence around the entire place, a long concrete drive, a 2 acre fishing pool, a barn, and lots of TREES, which is my favorite part.  I can't wait to post before and after pics of the changes we are making, because even though it is very nice, it will make it even more "OURS" :)  We get started on rennovations and moving next week!!



There is so much more going on, some family stuff, some job stuff, etc... but I have to go and will get back to you later... at least now, you know what is keeping me away!  Coming back with more soon, I promise!!

Love, Holly