As Promised....

PICTURES!  Oh yeah, and Happy Valentine's :)

Last weekend, Tige and my pops put a drainage system in the backyard and although I sat on the couch all day (hey, I unpacked and organized the whole house by myself, I deserved a break :) I didn't snap one shot of them working :(  I'm absolutely terrible when it comes to pictures!  But, here's the after picture...

Not really exciting, but in reality it is.  There was a horrible open ditch that the former owner put in as a solution for drainage.  Well, she obviously never used her backyard; it was a horrid tripping hazard and eye sore.  This also means we are that much closer to being able to sod and plant greenery!  Because the yard wraps all the way around the house and not one large space directly off the back of the house, I'm hoping the greenery will make the space feel larger then it looks.  Also, the concrete pad was poured kinda wonky, so that also makes it feel smaller; just makes it that much more important we don't clutter up the backyard and keep it open looking!

Today is our contractor's last day;  I feel very bitter sweet about this.  Why you ask?  Well, it finally means our kitchen (and some other small fixes around the house) are done, but it also means he leaves with all our money, LOL!  I think I've gotten used to all the construction all the time, but am thrilled to finally not have to move everything off the kitchen counters every morning before he gets there :)  I wish I remembered to take more pictures during the process, like at the granite yard when we picked out the slab and at Home Depot for 4 hours trying to decide on a back splash; but I didn't!  So, here's the after effect......please excuse a couple things...1. our studio size fridge (we still haven't looked at new ones yet) and 2. the dishes in the sink.  I was in the hurry this morning and didn't empty the dishwasher :)

 I was trying to showcase the brushed nickel can lights, but it didn't really come out.

 

So, Karl should be done grouting today, and I think he may put up the moulding in the light box.  And that's it!  I still have yet to find roman shades for the nook windows and something to fill that space (I'm thinking an industrial looking kitchen cart like this one: 

Then, I guess the yard will be the only project left for a while, until the bathrooms get a make over!

Until then......

Pictures a plenty

I just wanted to send a quick post to apologize for not posting more pictures of the progress.  We had the worst move of our lives last Saturday, and I have spent a week...yes, 1 whole week, putting away everything.  And for me, that is really sayin' something, since I am one of those people who is moved, unpacked AND organized in 1 day.  It really was a terrible experience with the movers.

Anywho....I'll have many "after" photos for you guys in a few days.  Currently (and looking toward the future), we've:
 1. Ripped out the garage innards  and completely organized it.  We hope to drywall it in the future, but that's definitely not at the top of our list.
2. Tige has started working on leveling the backyard; hoping to lay drainage pipe, cover drainage pipe, lay sod and put in some solar lawn lights in the near future.  Probably one of the most important projects we are working on.  On the same note, I need to get my booty in gear and start working on the front landscaping.
3. Tige has experimented with the gutters on one section of the house, the rest need to be installed.
4. Rip out the weird paneling above the fireplace, drywall, install a new, more modern mantel and hang the television.  I would say this project, and the backyard are at the top of our list.
5. At the bottom of the list (need to save money for it) is remodeling the bathrooms.
6. Buy new couch...this is not even on the list if you ask Tige, but I'm hoping to woo him with my ways and see if he'll give in and buy one :)

Putting the house to the real test this weekend...having the families over for a housewarming :)  Have a great weekend everybody!

Inspector Gadget

No, this post is not about cartoons from the 80's, it's actually about the importance of a good home inspector.  And not just any home inspector, the home inspector that does the inspection so that your home can close escrow.  Why am I writing such a boring post?  Because we have come to find out, we had a very s*&#@y inspector.

After we moved in, we were so excited, we just started talking about all the cosmetic things we wanted to fix.  And now, we are over our budget.....but not because of the cosmetic things.  It's because of all the things we found when we were getting ready to do the cosmetic things.  We found holes in the roof, in the stucco, in the garage...holes, holes, everywhere were holes!  When we went back to look at the inspection report, only one small hole in the stucco was mentioned.  So, we ran to the store to get some expandable foam, until we could have our contractor fill the holes.  It was a messy job, but someone had to do it ;)  Oh yeah, that someone was Tige!

When we finally moved in, we were minding our own business, plugging in all our goodies, when we come to find out, we have no electrical to the back of the house.  So, currently, we have a large orange electrical cord running across the whole living room floor to the opposite side of the house, so we can watch television.  1 day later, I go to dry my hair, pop in the little button on the GFI (those plugs you have in your bathroom and kitchen) to get my hairdryer a started, and...pop!  The electrical is working to the back of the house.  So, let's get this straight, the electrical to the back of the house is wired so that when the GFI is working properly in the BATHROOM, then the electrical outlets work.  That's just wrong.  But, when we went to then plug our television into the correct outlets (not the outlets ACROSS THE ROOM), it popped the GFI in the bathroom.  SIGGGGHHHHHH....

So, we have to get an electrician out....oh wait, we are over budget....we'll have an orange cord running through our living room for a while :)

Next on the list, is our pilot light that goes out....every.single.day.  And usually at night, so we get a nice freezing cold shower in the morning.  Although our pilot was not lit when the inspector came, there were other things he could have done to ensure we would have a constant, steady flame.  He could have checked the thermocouple, check our draft hoods (so the wind wouldn't blow it out), etc.  But he didn't, so, we'll probably have to replace the thermocoupler, which isn't expensive, but just another hassle.

For now, we'll end this list there, but unfortunately, I have a feeling we'll find more stuff in the near future.  As much as we are trying to enjoy our home, we are frustrated that we didn't do a more thorough inspection on our own, or hired a second inspector.  You learn something new everyday, and this will be an experience we'll no doubt never forget.

I'm so excited!

Why do I constantly relate songs to how I'm feeling about purchases?  I've got the Pointer Sisters in my head when I'm thinking about the new chandelier I purchased.......that I have to wait for, for a little less then 2 months....boooooo.  But, just thought I'd share it!

Now, I know what you're thinking....a little country for Orange County.  But, we're going for an industrial modern look, which I'm sure will look like a mismash of wood and metal because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing when it comes to interior decorating, but I thought this would be a great look for the industrial side of things, no?

Progress

Holy crap, I'm tired.  I should say, we are tired; Tige has been working his hiney off lately as well.  I'm not sure, besides college, when I've been this tired!  But, it's all forward progress, so YAY!

I must make a confession...wait, maybe you already knew this....we hired a contractor.  So, as much as I wanted to repaint the 1,600 (ok, maybe a slight over exaggeration) cabinets that are in the kitchen, I will not (I'm actually smiling on the inside).  When we sat down and thought about it, we spend a good portion of our lives in the kitchen.  You saw the before pics... it was pretty bad in there.  And as we started discovering, the lady that lived there before either asked a friend who had no clue what he/she was doing, or hired someone that had no knowledge in handy work/construction.  The repair work was really shotty and way more stuff then we realized needed to be done.  In the end, we decided we couldn't handle seeing that kitchen everyday in the state it was in; not to mention, my work on it would have been very slow, considering I would really only have the weekends to get things done.

Our cabinets are in really good condition, so no need to buy new ones.  Those are getting repainted (as we speak in fact, I was just at the house :)  I went to the granite yard today, and holy moly, if we didn't already know what color we wanted, we would be in a world of hurt....there are so many options, how do you make up your mind!?!  The old florescent fixture has been torn out and replaced with can lights and will get a nice moulding around the inset.  It will be my job, however, to paint the kitchen...no biggie.  I could go on and on, but the important thing, is that we are moving forward!  Here's some progress pic's:

Coming up next...the backyard!  Unfortunately, I was in LA celebrating my twin nieces first birthday when Tige ripped out the backyard, so I don't have pictures of that, but I'll at least have some before and after shots.  It's definitely something that will take time and be a work in progress....there is A LOT of work that needs to be done and no money to do it!  Until next time.....

Annnnnndddddd....we have hardwoood :)

My mom and I were discussing how funny it is how things change.  When my mom was growing up, everyone had hardwood in their houses, but what everyone really wanted was carpet, because it was expensive and highly coveted; you were doin' well if you had carpet in your house, lol.  Now-a-days, everyone wants hardwood, instead of carpet.  And it really is amazing how many different colors, styles and materials hard"wood" actually comes in.

But, guess what, that decision was already made for us!  Although the previous owner had installed carpet over the wood floor (as we all gasp), there was indeed, beautiful, never been stepped on hardwood, underneath all that white carpet.  Tige and I thought it was going to look just like the hardwood that is in the kitchen...blond oak.  Not our taste, but not hard to fix; we had picked out a gorgeous grey weathered look for our contractor to match.  However, when my dad and I pulled back all the carpet, what was revealed was a gorgeous, varied oak floor.  I'm definitely not a light oak lover, but this floor shows varying pieces of grey, cherry, yellow and a whole host of other shades running throughout.  How can we pass that up!  The other best part about the floor, is that, now we don't have to have the whole thing refinished.   The kitchen is a little worse for wear after 35 years, so that will have to be refinished.  But with the money that we've saved, we are now able to purchase new carpet for the bedrooms!

Here's the semi before, with just a portion of the carpet pulled back, and here's the finished product.  Well, in this picture, almost finished...my dad was pulling the staples out.  Luckily this room wasn't too big, because it definitely was a process.  Not a hard process, but time consuming.  And, if you try this at home, be very careful when pulling staples (make sure to pull straight up) and caret tack strips, because it's very easy to leave large wholes in the floor.  Nothing that a little wood putty can't fix, but it just adds even more time and money.  My dad was a pro at it, you can't even tell where the holes from the staples are!

 Tige and I plan on doing all the demo work for anything that we can't DIY ourselves (ex: installing a kitchen countertop, or anything to do with plumbing or electrial). This will help you save tremendously when having a professional come in; it cuts down on labor time, and usually, that is the most costly thing about a project.

Next up, painting stripes in the guest room!  I'll be finished painting the base color tonight, and will start on the stripes Wednesday!  I'll give you all details then.......

SOLD!!!

All I can hear in my head is “Aaaaaat Laaaaaaast” by Eta James.  Ok, so maybe she’s not singing about closing escrow on a house, but I digress.  Man, am I happy that whole process is over…now onto the fun stuff!

The day I got the keys, I already started painting the guest room…I know, I know, slow your roll Kate.  But, I was just too excited, I couldn’t wait.  And, I justify it in my head that we are moving in, in one week, so I would like to have the rooms painted, the bedroom carpet laid and the hardwood refinished.  Whew…what a undertaking.  Luckily, we’ve got my parents that have already helped us out tremendously and our friend Mark, who is a contractor.

Oh, but wait!!!!!!  You probably want to see the before pictures!  And, a lot of this “before” will stay a “before” for a long time, until we save for one project at a time.

Not the prettiest looking thing, but she’s got real potential (more pictures to come)!  Here’s our short list of things we’d like to do over the next couple years:

*Paint the bedrooms (IN PROCESS)

*Lay new carpet in the bedrooms

*Refinish the hardwood floor
*Hang new chandelier in dining room

*Re-face the cabinets

*New counter tops
*Remove florescent lighting and replace with cans

*Overhang off the back of the house (for the pooches)

*Remove the “siding” (or whatever that hideous thing is over the fireplace) and rock from fireplace.  Drywall and hang mantle.  Mount television

*FULL remodel of the bathrooms

*Make a functional garage

*Pull out backyard, level, sod and build planter boxes

*Gutters

I’m sure the list can  go on and on, but I think you get the picture….the house has a lot of cosmetic work to be done.  Luckily, only cosmetic.

So, off we goooooooooo………….