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Progress!!

Our addition is coming along stunningly!! Luckily the exciting and awesome part out weighs the stressful, never ending decision making part.

Today they finished framing the screen porch.

It’s got me dreaming of summer time!!!!!

The screen porch will eventually have screens(!) and french doors leading into the house (where the paper with the green writing is) and double screen doors opening onto the deck . (the large opening on the left) The area to the right of the screen porch is the deck (minus the railing and decking at this point!)

From the back yard

From the driveway

This is coming in through the new garage into our new expansive and bright hall way! We picked out really awesome tile for this space. I am really excited about all the possibilities of this new entrance way! We mainly use our back door to enter and exit the house several times a day. I always hated walking into the house through that blue door into our tiny dank hall way. It was so depressing. So I wanted to make this new entrance like a front door. We ordered a really nice wood door with a full glass view. I might paint this space orange or yellow or some other bright color!

Eventually we are going to have a really nice back yard too……I swear! In the mean time we might need to call for another dumpster!

Posted December 29th, 2011.
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We Have Heat!!

Wow-it’s been so long I almost forgot how to update this blog! We have heat–luckily my husband spent the day at an HVAC/Electrical Class! He came home and hooked up our new furnace. Or maybe I should back track a bit. Much progress has been made on our house addition since the garage demo post. Let’s see….

There was a back porch removed

There was lots of digging and hauling of dirt!!! Jake told me he felt like Mike Mulligan!

They dug for days!

Then there was pouring of gravel and concrete and building the foundation with stone blocks. And then came the framing and sheeting.

And then the trusses (this was truly beautiful!) I have a new love of architecture and hardware stores.

From there it was more framing and sheeting

Here is Ginger standing on our new pantry. This will eventually have railings and be a loft above the kitchen.

We have windows now too! And heat as of today–thank goodness!

Daytime view and night time view:

Sorry for the blurry photos–my auto focus is broken and according to my eyes with out glasses this WAS in focus! This is a shot of Ginger’s old bedroom (the green walls and carpet) now open to the new part. That was a small bedroom but now it looks even smaller!

New steps-horray!! Anyone who ever came to my door and tried to enter while carrying anything or happened to be greeted by the dogs or kids (which is everyone, always!) knows how awkward our old steps were and how awesome these will be!

Here we are at the bottom of the stairs, standing in the new super wide hall way looking at my old back door. To the left is my bedroom and to the right is another bedroom.

This is our new bedroom and below is a lucky kids new bedroom (luck is in the eye of the beholder because there is a war going on for my current bedroom)

We have hard wood floors and tile picked out and new appliances purchased. All I have to say is thank god for Pinterest and google!! I love you both beyond words! And more empty promises to update more often! Sorry!

Posted December 4th, 2011.
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2 Thumbs Up For Home Demolition Project

Just a quick update on our home improvement project. We have been busy cleaning up and taking up the rest of the garage foundation and the rest of our 10 inch thick concrete patio that has a brick patio underneath it. The permits should be back any day and our “list of things to do so the builder can get started” has just taken priority over everything else.

One of the things I have been excited about is the possibility of finding treasures when we dug up the yard for the foundation. I have been told our house once held the original farm house for this area. Most of the existing house was built in the 4o’s so there could be old stuff as well as newer “trash.” I have found some broken dishes and marbles out back.

Over the weekend my husband found our first treasure! An Oneida lmtd Silversmiths Triple cocktail or olive fork.

I think it is railway or cruise ship flatware. I can’t wait to see what we dig up next!!

Here is the video of our garage demo–in case the photos weren’t enough for you! You can view it in live action. I’m pretty sure Siskel and Ebert would give it 2 thumbs up!

Posted September 8th, 2011.
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My Kids Tagged Our Garage

To save some money we are doing most of the demolition for our addition. That means my husband and son get to knock the garage down. I think that might be any man’s dream! But before the fun can begin the siding needed to be stripped off and the aluminum sorted to be taken to recycling. Once Jake finished with that we were left with a shell of of a rundown looking garage. But not for long……..

Jake and I went to Kmart and stocked up on some pretty color spray paint and cupcakes.

Then my kids proceeded to lose a few brain cells all in the name of art, graffiti art. Even in the wide open air there were some serious fumes! It was great to watch how each kid tackled their blank wall so differently. Molly just grab the paint and started spraying.

Jake looked for some inspiration from a book we just happened to have checked out from the library

He was really methodical in his approach. Stepping back thinking about it–all while Molly worked furiously.

Ginger knew exactly what she wanted…This is a picture of our friend Chloe and her new boyfriend kissing. Awwwwwww

Then after consulting with the book, she found her inspiration too!

Of course things got a little out of hand!

If my neighbors didn’t blink at what they saw or grimace at the smell I am guessing they cringed when they heard me yelling “You may NOT spray paint your sister!!”

This window looks cool when lit from the inside

So let me ask you would you rather look at this?

Or this??!!!

I am glad we get to enjoy it for a few days…..it’s all coming down this weekend.

Posted August 18th, 2011.
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The Seven Year Itch

I have always dreamed of putting an addition on our house. All the little things I loved about this house to make us buy it–I eventually came to hate. The chopped up rooms and tiny door ways, nooks and crannies. If you know me in real life, you know that my husband and I have talked about “the addition” for years-to the point where I am sure our friends and family were sick of hearing it. We mention it almost every night at dinner when four of us eat around our table shoved against the wall and the fifth person sits alone at a different small table. And when we have extra dinner guests–which is more often than not—there is nowhere to sit. People always tend to gather in the kitchen-but if you are in my kitchen there is no doubt that you are just in the way. For years we have put off fixing things because of “the addition.” ” We are just going to remodel anyways”

Over the last few months we have met with our architect many times until the drawings were just what we wanted. We met with our builder several times so he knows just what we want. And….Well…. after seven and 11/12 years in our house finally “the addition” is underway!!!

We have the most awesome labor! First Jake dug part of the 50 foot trench where the bobcat won’t be able to fit so that we can bury our electrical lines. Did you hear him mention that our soil is mostly clay and full of tree roots.

Next thing on the list was taking our stone patio wall down. This involved swinging a sledge hammer and and busting stuff up. A boys dream!!

The girls helped with the relocation of all of the rocks (so we can re use them). This was not a parent approved part of the process. I looked out the kitchen window to see them filling up a cart with the rocks, attaching it to the back of my car with a chain and Molly (who was more than happy to help!!) driving my car into the back yard with Jake making sure the cart didn’t ram my car. My 12 year old driving around my back yard made me a little nervous I must add!

Early Sunday morning to my neighbors dismay the jack hammer arrived.

Actually my neighbors didn’t care at all (not yet anyways!). Word spread that we had a jack hammer and teens and men needed to try their hands at the ultra, manly power tool. They got to play and we got a little help-win -win!

Four to six inches of concrete is hard to bust up and heavy to move! Here is a flat on the trailer. But have no fear—more manly toys and tools!

This is just the start of the demo that we are doing before the real project starts. Which is scheduled to happen in just a few weeks. I am way overwhelmed with all of a sudden the need to pick out windows and siding and get everything out of the garage and order the dumpster……One would think in the almost 8 years that I have been thinking about this I would know what I want. So many choices! That I will have to live with forever! Doh! No pressure there!

I will update frequently on the progress so stay tuned! If you have remodeled or put an addition on your house and have any need to know advice-please pass it on!