It's a new house

I am very happy to share the latest addition - walls! It's an exciting time when you start to see your living quarters defined. Over the last two weeks, my home has been been packed with recycled insulation and perfectly applied sheet rock. Tip: There are many types of insulation and the most recognized is likely pink which loses its effectiveness over the years. We chose "cocoon" insulation because it it sprayed in to create an airtight seal around the house and keep a comfortable temperature inside.

Drywall has also been applied to the new walls, and we are ready for primer. We are now starting to add the noticeable finishes to the house. Paint and floor stains will need to be picked in the next week and window treatments are already being discussed. We have also started to visit local estate sales and pick up special decorations and utensils. Chad and I will be home sweet home very soon :)

A very special thank you to my Dad. I'm so fortunate to have him do what he does and give us this gift. Happy Father's Day!

in front of the fireplace:

living room:

kitchen:

hallway to guest room (credenza on the right):

master bedroom:

discussing the amazing master bedroom:

Anniversary

Chad and I celebrated our four year anniversary on June 2. I surprised him with a popcorn basket at work, and he gave me beautiful orange red roses on our way to mom's house. We ended the day with a delicious dinner with my parents and grandpa and some very special gifts. I bought him a chiminea for an outdoor, wood-burning fire during romantic dinners at home or nights entertaining family and friends. He gave me something dear to my heritage and a reminder of my favorite culture - an Italian cypress tree. We are very excited to move into our new home and enjoy our gifts!

The garage is straight?

The words muttered by Chad surprised all of us. Dad, Chad and I were so used to ignoring the garage's slanted stance, bowed door and low ceiling that we almost did not notice the improvements that May evening. It might not look like much in pictures, but the garage is fully functional again. With a new roof and proper restructuring, it can now cover my car and protect our tools and lawn equipment. We will soon complete our restoration project by painting inside and out; and although we have plans to build a new structure and access from the alley, we are proud to preserve the existing building for many more years of use.


original garage:


improved garage:

Colors, cabinets and chairs

I never understood why color selection was such a difficult decision....I now understand. Choosing the right color combination was a struggle. I searched through magazines, and Chad set up a method on the Sherwin Williams website to test colors on the house through pictures. I sat in the lawn and in the house stretching my arm out and holding samples. We met with our architect friend Bentley to review popular samples and asked for his thoughts by room. Although they were fun, these options did not produce any complete selection. What did help? The window selection made weeks prior. Dad and I were roaming the house and looking at the new windows when we realized the best selection was one that complimented existing colors of the house and its surroundings. I don't know the exact shade, but I can now confidentially say that the color scheme has been decided. It will be a combination of subtle sand, white and barkish-gray to warm up the house but not taking away it's natural openness and light.

We also made cabinet selections during this time. Kitchen, living room credenza and bathroom cabinets have been customized for our needs and hand-crafted. They will be paint grade verses wood with cabinet doors as the exterior finish. All drawers will fully-extend with self-closing hinges. I'm very excited to see the new additions that will be installed later this month!

Lastly, I wanted to introduce everyone to the first piece of furniture bought for the house - a zebra chair! Chad and I have decided to have a non-traditional living room with chairs and possibly a small loveseat. The room will comfortably fit 6 people and be light enough to move around and add to as needed. We will likely have a his and her recliner facing the fireplace; more details to come soon.

first piece for the new living room:

Sweat equity

The value of this house has largely increased due to the craftsmanship added on a weekly basis. However, it has also improved from the efforts of two, weekend worker bees and one dog overseeing their progress. Per the title of this blog, Chad and I frequently shop vacuum the house's nooks and crannies to keep it clean and dirt and bug free!

One project that we did not anticipate when buying the house was reviving the lawn. We were not afraid of the maintenance but did not realize the crabgrass that covered the lawn and begged us to attack it. We spent hours plucking weeds so the existing Bermuda and St. Augustine grass had a chance to grow this spring, and we had victorious smiles every time we grabbed one of the "big clusters." This will be an ongoing effort, but we have made significant progress. And, I'm happy to report that our crape myrtles are also growing well since our lawn care started . Tip: If you have a house, anticipate buying one or will attend a housewarming party in the future, buy something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202832533/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053. It's well worth the money and makes weed control so much more productive.

After purchasing my great weed puller, Chad split his time on another heavily layered project. We had a hexagon louvre in the front of the house with multiple coats of paint. It took two different products and three weekends for Chad to clean, but the result is a bare louvre ready for the paint of our choice!

Boyfriend is the supervisor:

shop-vacuuming the kitchen:

shop-vacuuming the living room:

fresh and clean louvre:

one of two blooming crape myrtles in the front yard: