Sanded caulk! Yep....that's right...sanded caulk. Color matched to your grout color...and it is AWESOME!! :) I am quite fond on caulk anyway...but caulk to match your grout...even better!
Behind the stove.....DONE!
Kitchen backsplash....DONE!
Laundry sink backsplash.....DONE!
Pantry backsplash.....DONE!
That's right...I just said done 4 times!!
WOO-HOO!
Here's a little glimpse into how detail oriented I am.
Looks pretty good doesn't it? Gotta install the sink & faucet now!
You can't even tell where the grout ends and caulk begins! YEAH!
Now it's time to get the window & door headers finished up!
Had to start our day off with a little groundhog relocation. My Mom has had nothing but trouble with them this year...they want to eat EVERYTHING that she plants - RUDE! Of course, Dad just left for a week long trip, so Kade and I have taken on the responsibility of moving these no to a new home. Pretty sure he wasn't very happy with us :)
After that...it was time to get grouting again! Today I did behind the stove, the clutter room and behind the laundry sink. WOO-HOO! I'm a grouting fool!
Forgot to take these pictures yesterday when I was grouting the other half of the kitchen!
I always feel like this part should just go so quickly...but it never does.
It's kind of like playing with wet sand. Shove it in the cracks...let it set up
and then wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe!
Got the area done behind the laundry sink too!
(notice my Pioneer can koozie up on the shelf...it's probably 20 years old at least, and it's my FAVORITE...don't know what I'm ever going to do when it finally wears out - which is going to be sooner rather than later)
I made quite the mess during all of this...
I think it turned out really nice though!
Come on...lets do some laundry!!
(you'll probably never hear me say that again!)
Pantry side of the clutter room is done too!
Does that mean ALL grouting is done upstairs??
I couldn't wait to pull that dirty paper off of the counter!
Looks pretty darn good doesn't it?
This room is so close to being complete!
(insert squeal of excitement here!)
Just need to seal the grout, caulk the edges of the tile and install the faucet and appliances!
Oh...and finish the window trim, ugh!
Why does my head always make it seem like less?
When I start listing things it's like it's never going to end!
I couldn't even get Kade to leave tonight...he just kept on vacuuming!
I think he's as ready to move in and USE this space as I am!
I can't believe that I FINALLY got to install the hardware in the clutter room! WOO-HOO!!! Even this is quite a chore for me...mostly because I have to make yet ANOTHER decision :) I ordered knobs and pulls MONTHS ago...o.k...probably a year ago!!
Knob placement is always something that I take very seriously, lol. It is soooo annoying to me when a knob or pull is off center....even just a little. Today I made a little template out of poster board and used the Frog tape for delicate surfaces to make the marks for my knob placement.
I used an awl to "punch" the middle of the hole before I drilled so that the drill bit wouldn't wander off out of control :)
Looking good so far. I'll take a closeup when I'm all done so you can see the detail of the knobs & pulls. In this room alone there are going to be 5 different knobs & pulls. YIKES! Hopefully they'll all go together o.k. (I'm still not sold on that beadboard backsplash. hmmmm)
The geese were back on our pond this afternoon. I was really excited to see that there was a baby with them. They have a hard time making it out here because there are too many predators. It's actually rare that I ever see them make it past the egg stage!
It was really funny when I drove by, the baby was trying to move so quickly...his little feet were burnin' rubber out there (and he wasn't going anywhere fast, lol) Hopefully it will make it!
I can't believe it!! All of this time waiting and the day has finally come!! Kade cut the hole in the laundry sink countertop for the wash tub & pull out faucet! I realize that it's NOT a traditional sink!
BUT OMG!! I LOVE IT!!
We've still got to cut the hole in the bottom for the drain...maybe this weekend.
Now it's time to pick the tile for the backsplash!
This one is a natural stone...like slices of rocks...
and some of my favorite rocks with crystals exposed!
This one is a 3x6 white marble with a strip of smaller white/gray marble tiles.
I really thought I'd love this one...marble octagons turned at an angle.
I'm starting to think it's a little too busy though!
Another marble :) pinwheel pattern.
2x4 marble subway. I think this one might be a little to gray.
Same 2x4 marble subway tile with that smaller white/gray accent strip.
White ceramic octagons...hmmm.
The white subway that we're using in the kitchen.
The white subway with that white/gray marble accent strip
I seriously need to give myself LESS options!!
I think we've narrowed it down to the top two. The natural stone or the 3x6 marble.
UGH!! SOMEONE ELSE DECIDE FOR ME!!!
If we do the natural stone then we'll do this beadboard backsplash on the pantry side.
If we do the 3x6 marble subway then I think we'll just do the same on both sides.
I also finally decided what to do in the back of the mudroom sitting area!
Can you believe it...a decision, lol!
I was thinking that since that wall will just get scuffed in the back of the seat anyway we might as well just use a darker color all the way up. Well...we had some of the walnut flooring left, so why not just run it up the wall? Then I can hang the hooks on something the same color as the cabinets!
I do believe that will work! Now we've just got to finish cutting and get them all nailed up!
Have I mentioned that it REALLY needs to stop raining around here??
We're going to have a bunch of stuff to run through the table saw when we finally get a dry day!
I spent this morning caulking and filling all of those headers that Kade made over the weekend. He has been patiently waiting for me to get them done. Hopefully tomorrow I can prime them, then I need to paint them so we can get them up!! They're going to make such a huge difference in the overall look of our unfinished house ;)
Two of my favorite things...a tube of painters caulk and pink spackling
(the spackling dries white so you know when you can paint!)
This is our original design for the headers. You can see the post here.
Made from an MDF 1x6, panel moulding (at the top) and a ripped piece of 2x4 on the bottom.
Not very expensive to build...just time consuming (no way...we're doing something that's time consuming??)
While I was working in the dining room I heard something shuffle out in the leaves in front of the house (yes...I need to clean up the front porch mess, I KNOW!)
Anyway...I looked out and there was a groundhog!! Right there walking down the sidewalk!! I quickly grabbed my iPhone and snapped this pic. I swear...I don't know what I'd do without my iPhone! I take pictures of EVERYTHING....ALL OF THE TIME!!
(you've been warned!)
I finally remembered to bring up one of the baskets that I bought to use in the laundry part of the clutter room. I bought these from Longaberger probably 2 years ago...maybe longer. They're actually a little small in the cabinet...which is fine because that will give me room to grab the handles, etc. Only one problem...I only have 4 of them...I have an older one but it's a slightly different design and not the same color. Guess Longaberger needs to have a sale on the MEDIUM WASH DAY BASKET again, lol!
Last summer I ordered some lilac bushes online (I had never ordered plants online before). I think I got 6 for $12 or something like that...they weren't expensive. Well...2 of them died before I ever got them transplanted into bigger containers (oops!).
But to my surprise, I looked over and the 4 that made it are all blooming!
I had never intended for them to be out of the ground for so long...so I
am just amazed that they've made it this long! They're still not very
big, but that's fine...cause I still don't know where they're going to
go, lol! Boy oh boy, I can not wait to start planting some flowers and
sprucing up the landscaping at the new house!!
I guess all of the weeks and MONTHS of hard work on this room are finally paying off!
This is what the cabinets looked like this morning after being sprayed with poly yesterday.
This little 8" paper was really all I needed to protect the ceiling from overspray with the poly. It was amazing actually how LITTLE overspray there really was.
It was finally time to pull the plastic out and see what all this fuss was actually about!
The final finish...so smooth...
and so crisp and white...
just what I was hoping for! (whew!)
I had to sneak in the countertop for the sink area...I know it hadn't been 24 hrs. of dry time yet...but I was gentle putting it into place :) Look how much dust is inside that cabinet!! I spent ALL day vacuuming, and wiping these cabinets up inside with the damp cloth. I couldn't believe how dusty they were! (what did I expect though, I've only sanded in there like 8 times, lol!)
I love the contrast of the white cabinets with the warm wooden countertops.
Can't wait to put my GALVANIZED WASH TUB sink in there!!
I walked around with Mom and checked out the asparagus, rhubarb and just about anything with a bud or a bloom on it. This red dogwood tree we were just SURE was dead. Guess not! HOWEVER...I'm still not sure it's going to make it... probably 1/3 of the branches are dead.
It sure does look like it's trying though doesn't it? It was such a beautiful day.
I finished cleaning and then started putting the cabinet doors back on...
it sure seems like forever since they've even been in that room!
I must admit...that numbering the cabinet doors where the hinges go and
taping over that really made it go quickly when putting them back on!!
Remember what it looked like before?
I can't even see this in my mind anymore!
It looks sooooo different now!!!
WOW....WoW...wow!!!
What a HUGE difference! This may be my favorite room in the house now!!
