Wood Floors under all that Carpet!

I've been quiet for the past couple of weeks.

The kitchen work has been held up

for the past several days

because one cabinet had to be replaced.

It has now arrived and

hopefully in the next couple of days

we'll all see some real progress

in the kitchen.

In the meantime,

the carpet has been pulled up

and we've got oak floors underneath!

They are not in pristine condition,

but with a thorough cleaning

and some minor repairs,

they will be just fine for

my little cottage!

The stairs are going to be the most 

labor intensive.

The "waffle" padding underneath has disintegrated 

to a hard, clay-like material

that is having to be scraped away.

"My"bedroom upstairs.

The guest bedroom.

I had originally planned to do the painting,

but because my current house sold so quickly

(closing is scheduled for June 12!!!)

I am overwhelmed with packing up.

So, Shannon, my contractor,

has agreed to add that task to his list.

We're all working toward a "finish" date

on the renovations by the end of May.

I am in countdown mode now!

Happiness is...

...a living room full of kitchen appliances!

That's what greeted me yesterday 

when I opened the front door!

It means we're getting closer

to the finish line

with the kitchen!

And speaking of the kitchen,

the cabinets started getting installed yesterday!

This has the makings of a fine

little cottage kitchen!

Do you see my vision???

And look what is in full bloom 

in my "new" garden.

Life is indeed good!

Checker Board Floors

I have always loved the look of 

black and white

checkerboard floors.

Finally, I am going to have them!

The floor went down in my

new kitchen (to be)

last week.

I am using the same floor

in both bathrooms as well.

Here's a peak at the 

downstairs bathroom...

...and the upstairs bath.

The two bathrooms are nearing the finish line.

There's a little grouting of the tile left, 

placement of the sinks and toilets,

and installation of the light fixtures.

Sadly the two mirrors I had intended to use

are both too large for my tiny bathrooms.

Oh well, they're out there.

I just have to find them and bring them home!

Saying Farewell to Buttermilk Cottage

I have certainly known this day was coming.

I have been working toward it for

quite a while.

But still...

...the day this sign

appeared in the yard

was a bittersweet one.

I have a fantastic real estate team,

Linda and Ginger,

(who also found my 

little Cape Cod for me)

pulling out all the stops.

Their photographer took some

tremendous photos 

for the house's listing.

So, as a last homage

to this wonderful house,

I'm sharing them with you.

And, guess what...

We have a pending sale

after one day on the market!

So, this house won't 

spend a single day

not being loved.

View from My Window Today

Lovely Spring!

The yard is untidy,

but I had to share this

beautiful blooming crab apple tree

just outside my workroom window.

This picture doesn't do it justice,

but a cherry tree is just outside 

a second window, in full bloom.

It's a bit hard to get

work done when this is the view!

My great little "knitted" bowl --

a gift from my sister a couple

of years ago.

I selected a gorgeous piece of granite 

for my new kitchen this week.

It's very much going to be a simple, cottage kitchen --

white cabinets, black counter top,

black and white checkerboard floor.

Stay tuned!

Renovations Continue!

Major accomplishment today!

This was the last of the wallpaper.

(This is a downstairs hallway from

my future workroom to the kitchen.)

As of today,

it is now all gone!

The subway tile in the downstair bathroom

began going in last week.

This is what it looks like today!

The bead board is complete in this 

bathroom as well.

This is the upstairs bathroom.

The plaster walls were in such 

bad shape,

it was decided to use 

the bead board floor to ceiling.

Note the new wall at the head of the tub,

added to incorporate a shower.

I am keeping both original tubs.

My contractor informed me this afternoon

that the kitchen cabinets and 

the kitchen/bathroom floor has arrived.

Tomorrow I will be selecting

granite or quartz for the kitchen counter tops

and some lighting fixtures.

One step at a time...