check out the floors! We were up 'til 1 AM scrubbing and coating them. I now understand why people want you to take off your shoes. :)

final details- painting upper cabinets!

Soffit (what covers the eaves)- CHECK! outside of the house is officially done. Inside is not done. Nevertheless-Final inspection is Monday at 10 am!

today's activity...hanging soffit.

Tile shower almost done and the toilet is going in.

getting closer...it's almost mostly details now :)

Water Heater= plumbing and gas are a go!

Only a slightly traumatic experience of water
spraying everywhere at 11:00 at night. But not
because of Russ's work- it was a faulty $180
double check valve.















By the end of the day the pump for the radiant
floor heat should be running and we will have
the toastiest concrete floor on the block!!!!!

Russ's Garage That He's Not Building!!!!!!!!

We had some left over pex tubing so it will have
radiant floor heat, too!














The building should be delivered any day now!

Happy Thanksgiving Sewer Line

It started out as a little adventure to find the sewer
line. Then we found out that it was our job to connect
the line to the city. So the days we planned to finish
the bathroom turned in to the days we dug an 80 foot
trench sloping a quarter of an inch ever ten feet going
up hill (our lot is slope the opposite direction).
Along the way we broke the gas line at 8:00 on
Thanksgiving night and the irrigation water line at 10:30.
It sounds funny now......

Reclaimed Wood Trim

A coworker remodeled her kitchen- replacing wood
flooring with tile. So we cut the tongue and grooves
off, planed, sanded, routered, stained, and clear
coated the old wood back to life. That same friend
also gave us the awesome door. Which is now even
cooler because yet another kind soul gave us a matching
one to go on the bedroom at the opposite end of the
hall! Hurray for reusing!!!!

Concrete Countertops

Russ made concrete countertops that turned out
beautifully! The sink looks pink but it's not. It is
more of a sand color.

Let there be light!!!!

Red Wall!

We are getting closer by the day!
Lights are scheduled to be installed Monday.
Appliances should be in by the end of the week!
Just a little more painting and trim work.
Oh- the bathroom- that is last on the list.
We just might be on schedule for end of Thanksgiving finish!!!!

Finished Ceiling and Drying Mud

I can't even begin to total all of the hours that went into the
sanding, staining, clear coating, installing of the pine tongue
and groove planks on the ceiling. But I do know that had we
bought the panels of finished ceiling at the hardware store it
would have cost us close to $20,000. We did for less than $500.
That's insane!

Taping and Bedding

A new skill added to my resume.
Holy Time Consuming Batman!



















Hurray for awesome helpers!

Utility Room Just about done!

Fire Brick Wall

Russ's first lesson in brick laying.


















Adding a little spice from the nearby mountain.


















Finishing up about 3 days later about 11 at night.















It's the most beautiful brick wall Russ has ever made. :)

Window Seat

I wish that I had taken a picture of this 24 foot long piece of wood strapped
to the truck!
About 10 hours of love went into sanding, staining, sealing, and installing this window seat.

The making of a shower and hanging of a ceiling

We don't do anything the easy way.
Why by a prefab shower when you can just make one?
Stay tuned for the tiling of the shower...
































Step one: buy 300 tongue and groove boards
Step two: sand 300 tongue and groove boards
Step three: stain 300 tongue and groove boards
Step four: clear coat/seal 300 tongue and groove boards
Step five: hang 300 tongue and groove boards

The door that Russ made!

The the dark wood is reclaimed mahogany that a friend gave us.
The lighter wood is hemlock from the store.
The hinges are reclaimed from an old industrial refrigerator.
The door weighs about a million pounds and is about 5" thick.
We have yet to figure out and door knob and lock for that thickness.
Any ideas?

We now have an orange house :)