Confusion

I will try to catch you up on the last two days!  Yesterday, I was holed up in my sewing room all day as the men re-taped and mended the walls.

The diningroom became a maze of appliances since they had to be cleared out of the kitchen. 

Nyki was a bit tense about all the noice and confusion.  What is the kitchen cabinet doing in the bedroom?!

When they spread out the leveling  cement between the old and new rooms, it took only a second for this to happen!  How many feet does this little cat have?!

While trying to stay out of the way, I spent most of the day in my sewing room and  finished Millie's quilt.

And sewed 14 of the 30 satin graduation sashes.

And altered Caleb's new suit.

And pieced a bunch of the batik blocks.  Yes, it is curved piecing.  Not too hard but it does require pins to keep it accurate!

The grout was applied in the entryway and

.......the bathroom.  Now for some rinsing.....ya think!

Bill treated us to a rotisserie chicken from the local WinnDixie for supper.  Quite a day.

Today, the men sealed up the kitchen and livingroom and sprayed the knockdown and orange peal on the ceiling and walls.  It was loud and messy and they had to block up the heat vents so no furnace for 3 hours!  It is cold (45F) and rainy so it didn't take long for me to get chilled.  I sat and knitted with the cats on my lap!

This is the good news-new texture on the walls and ceiling! 

The bad news; the wet stuff on the ceiling has activated the nicotine of the previous owners and it has seeped through to make for a very brown color.  ANOTHER REASON NOT TO SMOKE!  CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE YOUR LUNGS WHEN THE CEILING LOOKS LIKE THIS!!!!!

Bill has the special oil based enamel to apply to the ceiling to stop this stuff from leaching through to the nice white finishing paint!  An extra step but it is necessary.  He will apply a coat tonight and then tomorrow we will embark on a painting frenzy so that we will be done with both coats of paint by the time the men return on Monday morning to put the flooring down! 

Confusing, yes, but all to a good end.  (Bill took me out to eat when the men finished this afternoon.  And then we went to HomeDepot to pick out interior doors and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!)

I am heading to my recliner and some knitting.....

Tiled and Then Some

We have bathroom tiles....

and entryway tiles!  He will be coming back on Thursday to finish the grout and begin work on the sheetrock in the diningroom and kitchen. 

Dad finished his work in the kitchen and archway. 

Everything is ready for the big day on Thursday.

Bill just has to fine tune (run wires and water in the attic) to the newly prepped wall.

I finished Mom's quilt and she now has to bind it; I will put up a photograph then.  As soon as we took her quilt off the frame, we loaded up another.  This one for my neighbor who made this twin sized quilt for

her grandson at Jacksonville University.  Remember this is the center block I embroidered and cut off the corner when trimming the stabilizer!?!  Glad to see she was able to rescue it!  I am just quilting it with a simple meander.

I am still knitting away on the lace  mystery shawl, but this cold is impairing my ability to reason well and the counting and recounting of the lace is not as enjoyable in my present 'snotty' frame of mind.

But, I am loving the mindless (almost) knitting of the round afghan!  It is a very good knit!

We got a pleasant surprise last evening.  The custom cabinets we ordered for the bathroom are not only ready, they were delivered !  The cats loved smelling and exploring them.  As soon as the grout is dried, we will be moving them in!  They are solid oak, just what I imagined-so happy!

Move It Around!

We moved all the furniture  from the old livingroom- into the new one so we can begin work on the old area!  (The afternoon pic didn't come out, so this one is a bit dark.......)

Dad and Bill continued to work on the kitchen so that it is ready to be included on the renovation.  The refrigerator needs to move to the opposite wall--where there is no electrical outlet or water supply --the guys will get it done, of that, I have no doubt!

Here you can see the old doorway to the garage that is no longer there must be filled in with insulation and studs for sheetrock.

Bill is getting behind the old sheetrock to make some room for the new water supply and the electrical outlet that will be dropped down through the ceiling.

Mom and I stripped the room of all its furniture and even removed the baseboards, and then rewarded ourselves with a new knitting project!

 I had sent Mom a link to this knitting pattern, Ten Stitch Twist, months ago to savor when we were together this winter-then is now!  After the eye strain of my lace mystery KAL, this was a very fun knit-only 10 sts on the needles for each spiral sweep-it is working up very fast in a worsted weight yarn I had purchased for a sweater  that went awry.  This is a perfect way to use up all that yarn! 

Off-Line

While the men are laying floor in the addition, we are tearing up the area we live in to prepare it for the facelift to take place in a few days!  Bill and my Dad worked faster than planned and so the computer had to be moved into an area without a phone line and so --NO INTERNET!   I have come down with Bill's cold, so nice to share things.  I have spent the last few days in bed but will catch you up now. 

The computer used to reside right inside the door, next to the kitchen.  We have removed the half wall from the end of the counter and...

... also removed the dark wood that framed the door way.  We are really liking the open area that has resulted. 

The computer was moved into the new guestroom, Bill had to hook up the phone wire so it was internet connected-see the outlet hanging from the wall.......at least I could catch up!

Dad also removed the wooden door frame to the dining room.  The men will spray the textured knockdown on the ceilings of the family room and the kitchen and then the walls of the family room and then bring the wood flooring through these two areas.  We are talking about some confusion for the week ahead but all to good end. 

I made a new plastic bag tote.........this one was made on my rigid heddle loom because I still have the dish towels on my floor loom.  Once I got used to it again, it went pretty quickly.

I have owned these empty shadow box frames for 25 years and finally glued some fabric to the background and glued some shells in place.  A very satisfying hour's work.

No More Cement Floor!

                          
Just look at the new floor!  The installers are about half way done......it is so beautiful!  So warm, so cushioned, so clean....okay, can you tell I am happy about it?

The cats were intrigued with the floor barrior stuff going down and kept helping; often.  Even shy Nyki couldn't resist smelling it and walking around even near the men which is a first!

 

Yes, even Bling came to check it out and play with a mousie on it!

The sun is behind the clouds so it is a little darker than in person but you can see the various shades that make up the floor in Hickory wood.  Whoopee!

Last Minute Work

Bill is finishing the bathroom preperations as I write this so the men can lay the flooring in the south addition today! 

First he had to use a cement saw to cut out the area for the CENTER drain shower unit (not the right hand drain that had been planned!)

Next to cement in the open area and connect the shower.

Then we noticed a gap of 2 1/2" on the wall separating the toilet and shower.  He had to build it out, sheetrock and mud it.  I am going in to paint it right now!  Talk about coming in just before the wire!

Never a dull moment. 

Dad has been installing all the electrical outlets as we play in the bathroom.......

Celebrate!

To celebrate my Dad's birthday, we took a day trip to Daytona Beach to............

.....Crabby Joe's Restaurant (last year we went here and decided to make it a tradition!)  We enjoyed their fried fish sandwiches and their own home made potato chips; it was wow, good!

This year, Caleb and Kristen were able to join in the birthday party!  It was almost as cold as last year.........we hurried down the long pier to the restaurant! (Temp was in the high 50's and then later in the afternoon, the sun poked out and it was in the 60's.......ahhhh, that sun is warm!)

We weren't the only ones who had to huddle down in their coats!

I finished Caleb's sock on the car ride today!  I got in one inch of stockinette and 6" of ribbing , took care of my yarn tails and gave them to him to take home and wear!  (He said , "My foot isn't that big!" but when he tried them on , they fit perfectly!  Phew!  )

Bragging

I will brag about my son, Matthew, who has won an award for his work on taking over the McClenny Sherwin Williams Store.  Great job!  (Sherwin William's just had a 3-day conference in Orlando where he received this award-he was wearing a suit and everything.  I asked for a pic but he told me, "It isn't going to happen, Mom!")  We are proud of you.

Floored

Bill has been down with a virus and so the work that was to begin today is postponed until Thurs/Fri.  I am trying to be patient....

I was floored another way today, blogfriend, Benita, sent me the tshirt I won on her blog (designed and made by her and her husband!) and a collection of plastic bags she has been saving for me!

Can you believe how many she managed to stuff into the box?!!  Thank you so much!

Here is what the new tile for the master bath looks like.  (16" ceramic tiles, matt finish)

Nyki likes it........she played and nap on it as soon as I placed it on the floor....cats!

Knitting like a maniac to get Caleb's socks done in time for his visit this Wednesday.....

...Especially when I have to keep up with the mystery shawl progress, too!

I put a few of the finished blocks on the wall for encouragement on the project.  This will not be the layout exactly but it works until I get the little blocks done, too.

Mom and I got her quilt loaded on the frame.  I have carte blanc for designs....I have chosen cabbage roses and feathers for the border and a rose and ribbon panto for the center. 

Nice to hit the week at a full run.