The Never-Ending Story...

That I desperately want to end.

Many angry, frustrated tears have been cried into my sauvignon blanc. And my Screwdrivers. And my Bloody Mary's.

The hubby and I are thisclose to hitting the limit on the amount garbage we can possibly put up with, specifically with his mother. It's very hard, very hard (as I've discovered) to live with your mother-in-law. If they don't finish this project soon, I will personally drive myself to their headquarters in Circleville, OH and chew someone's butt like a Great Dane with a ham bone.

Countertops were finished and installed on Friday. Mirrors were placed in the bathrooms. Wire racks were installed in the closets. That's it. I think that's a total of about 5-6 hours of work for last week. The complete lack of efficiency is driving me batty. All I can say is that if I had worked this inefficiently at my former job at a large corporation in Oregon, I would have been fired within weeks. Possibly days. How is it that this project manager doesn't want to get my husband off his back? Because my hubby calls this dude everyday. Every single day. That's not an exaggeration. We are so close to the end that all that needs to be done is installing the sinks and toilets (the plumbing is done, all they have to do is put said-items in the house, and hook them up) and install carpet. That's it! Probably 2 days worth of work. I'm so frustrated I could scream at someone! Argh!!!!

Ok, I've finished my rant. I feel somewhat better. I'll post the pictures of what was done last week.

Kitchen counter.

Kitchen.

Master bath.

Guest bath.

Master closet.

And go back to my beer :)

Not Much of An Update

Well, the only thing that has been done in the last, oh, 10 days is the vinyl floors. The floors were put in the day before Thanksgiving. They were supposed to go in the Monday before Thanksgiving, so our appliances could be delivered on Tuesday. Needless to say, we had to push our appliances back another week. So, we will now be receiving the appliances this Tuesday. Since the floors are in, the appliances can finally be delivered.

Again, I'd forgotten what floor we chose since it was so long ago, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the floors. The floors are covered in cardboard to protect them while the house is being finished up.

I was hoping to win the lottery last night so I could push money at these builders to finish up my house. No such luck :)

Odds and Ends

We are getting down to the wire on the house.

Yesterday, the hubby and I installed our light fixtures in the kitchen/dining nook. Yes, we had the electrician install both. We hated them immediately, so we took them down and installed a couple of new ones. We made the right choice, as I'm completely satisfied with the light fixtures now.

Yes, very happy with these indeed. I love, love, LOVE the dining nook fixture. It's perfect.

What's left to do-

1. The floors
2. The countertops
3. Final plumbing, i.e. toilets and sinks

When will these get done? Your guess is as good as mine. We are having the appliances delivered a week from now, so the floors better be done by then. If they aren't, the hubby is going to have to throw-down. I'm having a hard time not being grumpy right now because we are so close, yet so far. Sigh. 6 months is a long time to not have a home, and to not have your stuff.

This was not our best decision in hindsight (i.e. giving up our disgusting, yet private rental), but hey, you live you learn.

Entries may be sparse until the house is done, as antsy-ness has given me a short attention span and writer's block. Until next time, hope everyone has a great Monday!

And All That Trim

Our project manager managed to tell the truth for once! 

He told us last week that the cabinets, doors, trim, and porch would be installed on Monday, and what do you know? They showed up on Monday. Shocking.

They did a fantastic job, I'm very pleased. All the colors and finish's we picked out, ummm, 7 months ago, look so good together. I'm very relieved about that one. The white trim made all the walls pop.

We were also pleased that the painters showed up yesterday. The painters painted all the trim and doors, as well as patching all the little dinged spots (If you look closely at the pictures, the walls are covered in little pieces of blue painters tape- those were the dings).  Today they are putting a second coat of paint on all the walls. So that will be done after today.

Hard surfaces, i.e. countertops and vinyl flooring, are scheduled to be installed on Monday. Appliances are 100% going to be delivered on Tuesday (since that's something the hubby scheduled) so those floors better be in on Monday. I told the hubby he's cutting that one close. I am sooooooooo excited for my new appliances. The timing better work out is all I gotta say!

Kitchen cabinets. We went a dark-stained maple, and I think they look fabulous.

Trim and windowsill in the living room.

Cabinets in the master bathroom.

My tub!

Trim and windowsill in the guest bathroom.

I love my kitchen!

Looking into the living room/kitchen/dining nook.

Looking from the dining nook into the great room.

Front porch.

The exterior is now complete!

I'm Back! With A Construction Update!

I'm back in Kentucky!

Well, technically, I've been back for 2 weeks now. But I am back on the Internet. After 2 weeks of being at the hubby's mother's house without Internet, we decided we couldn't handle it. I'm not sure how people ever lived without the Internet in the past. I'm joking, of course, but the hubby and I seriously couldn't handle it! The hubby pulled some strings, and ended up getting getting his mother free phone and Internet service for 2 months. This worked out well for our short stay here.

So, what happened on the house while we were out in Oregon? Surprisingly little. Yes, we were wildly disappointed that the only thing completed on our house the month we were gone was sheetrock and mud. The amount of productivity for a month's worth of time was shockingly little. Let's just say that if I was in charge of this project, everyone involved would be fired. But I'm not, so I digress.

Sheetrock in the dining nook/kitchen/great room

Sheetrock in the master bath.

Guest bedroom.

Garage.

Oh, and we also got the garage door put on while we were gone.

As soon as we got back and the hubby gave them a good butt-chewing, they decided to paint. He also called the people who were supposed to put the septic in a month ago, and got them to come out and do their job. The septic went in last Tuesday, and took all of our savings with it. Sheesh.

It was getting late in the day when I took these pictures, so pictures with better lighting will be sure to follow. It's hard to see in the photo, but the wall with the french doors is red and the wall in the living room is a darker taupe.

The kitchen wall, a medium taupe.

The bathroom color, a gold-toned taupe. Can you tell we like neutral colors?

The lightest nude color, which we put in all the bedrooms.

So here is the schedule the builder gave us, which we always, always take with a grain of salt.

Trim, cabinets, and lighting fixtures have all been delivered to the house. Trim (which includes all the interior doors) is scheduled to be installed on Monday. Cabinets are scheduled to be installed on Tuesday. The painters are also supposed to come back and do the final coat of paint on the walls on Tuesday. The electrician is supposed to be out there sometime Monday-Wednesday to put it in the light fixtures. Hard surfaces (countertops and vinyl) are scheduled for Thursday. The plumber should be there sometime after the hard surfaces go in to do the final plumb. Carpet will be the last item completed.

The hubby thinks we will be in the house the week after Thanksgiving.

I remain skeptical.

Trip Conclusion

OMG.

It's our last day here.

I honestly think this was one of the fastest month's I've ever had. I can't believe the hubby and I have to pack up and fly out tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit melancholic over everything. It would be different if the house was done, and the hubby and I were going back to our brand new home. But, it's not. So, I don't want to go back :) The good news? Looks like we are about 3 weeks out on the house getting done. I'm trying to remain optimistic on that one.

I've got some pictures to wrap up the last week or so of our trip. The little brother got married on Saturday. This went off without a hitch, and was a beautiful wedding. More on that when the pictures are done!

I snapped this adorable pic of Gizmo drooling over the hubby's breakfast. He couldn't take his eyes off what he couldn't have.

Pre-wedding manicure. My mom, my brother's fiancee, and I all got pedicures and manicures Friday before the wedding. It was nice to have a moment to relax amidst the wedding chaos. Plus, I loved the color I picked.

The hubby and I at my brother and his fiancee's rehearsal dinner. It was hosted at my parent's house, and it was nice to have a glass of wine and get to know the family we are blending with.

Fresh roasted pumpkin. Yum!

So, I made Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes yesterday. I was disappointed in how these turned out. The recipe is almost soufflé-like. There is very little flour in the recipe, and no fat. The cupcake is supposed to get a slightly done crust while have a custard-like middle. I guess I didn't get these done enough, because they are all custard. I'm not giving up on the recipe though, because I think once cooked properly, these will be delicious! Not that they aren't delicious, but they just aren't perfect. And we all know I like perfection!

Last night, my parents, my hubby, and I went across the street to my parent's neighbor/family friend's house for wine and hors d'oeuvres. As I was shutting the door to leave, this was the site I was greeted with. Not a single dog approved of us leaving for the evening :)

Hors d'oeuvres platter, plus homemade guacamole. My favorite!

I loved these rustic goblets my parent's friends had. What a cool idea! Might have to be getting me some of these!

So, time for some bad news. The hubby and I will be staying with his mother when we get back to Kentucky, and she unfortunately doesn't have Internet. It will probably be about 3 weeks that I won't have Internet (I know, in this day and age, right?) Anyways, I will be taking a sabbatical for an unknown amount of time. The good news? I'm revamping the blog so when I come back, it will look all shiny and new. Plus, I will be in my new house!

Fingers crossed that this time period goes fast.

And double crossed.

And then cross some more fingers.

***Update***

Last night before bed, I put the cupcakes in the fridge, hoping to save them. And save them I did! When I took one out of the paper wrapper this morning, a crust had formed around the custard. Yay! I'm happy to report these little portable pies are delicious! Turns out they just have to be refrigerated before serving. This is a very important step. I'd say refrigerate overnight before serving. Happy eating!

Trip Update: 10/10/12

We've been on vacation almost 2 weeks now. It's been heaven! We've gone to a majority of our favorite restaurants, been to a Duck's football game, and seen a lot of people we've missed. Oh, and just so you know. I totally started this post yesterday, literally got yanked away from the computer, and never made it back. It's hard to blog when you never have time!

Last Saturday was the hubby's birthday, and also a home football game for the Oregon Duck's. My mom, being a season ticket holder, gave the hubby and I her tickets for Saturday's game against the Washington Huskies for his birthday. I drove up to Eugene on Friday night to spend some time with one of my oldest friends. The night that ensued only brings to mind the time we spent together when we were younger. I haven't had a night like that, oh, probably since my bachelorette party. And now I know why.  I'm not that young anymore, as evidenced by the 2-day hangover I was bestowed with after our night out. I made it to the game with the hubby, and I will only say he was less than sympathetic about my hangover. He did warn me not to have too much fun. Too much fun? Does that even exist?

Yes, yes it does.

I've been having a fabulous time in the kitchen. Tuesday night, I made a Bourbon Glazed Chicken, Spinach and Parmesan Basmati Rice, and Sauteed Grape Tomatoes. Delish! We called this a "freezer meal". I grabbed a bunch of things from my parents freezer to make this, I didn't have to get a single thing at the store. I think my parent's are well stocked for the apocalypse. I'm planning on doing some baking today, I found a recipe for Banana Cinnamon Swirl Bread that I'm going to try.

Also made yummy, yummy Snickerdoodles. They're all gone now :)

I always have an audience when I'm cooking, one of my observers usually being my dog. He likes to think he is a person, and sit at the bar when people are in the kitchen.

Gizmo adores sleeping on my parent's end tables in the living room. I know, not the best manners, but my parent's don't seem to mind.

On Sunday after the hubby's birthday, we had a brunch at my parents house. My brother and his fiance were there, as well as some close family friends and their parents. Two giant bottles of champagne were drank in mimosas, and we ate a ton of food :)

The hubby just had to take a patio heater to the next level yesterday. It hasn't been working for awhile, so the hubby took it upon himself to take it apart and figure out why. He battled a nest of bees with an air compressor, and in short, had a fabulous time killing insects with high-powered air.

We've also made a small trip to Portland to stay with some friends. It was a short, one-nighter which means we will have to make it back at some point to see more friends. Whilst we were in Portland though, we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (Salvador Molly's) and lunch the next day at Mio Sushi. I've missed sushi so much. It's not nearly as... fresh in Kentucky.

We are halfway through our trip, I'm sooooo sad. Especially when the hubby and I hear that nothing has happened at our house. The hubby and I leave for a month, and the project falls apart. It figures. Anyhoo, I'm heading to the Oregon Coast tomorrow, and will be spending Friday night there. I love the coast :)

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

http://everydaypr.net/

Tomorrow is the big day! Yes, I'm excited. Nervous, but ultimately excited. Today is going to be a lot of organizing, packing, planning, and checking things off my list to make sure we don't forget anything. And oh yes, snapping some pictures of the insulation being installed over at the house. It's hard to believe the house may be done by the time we get back. Yes, please! Anyways, I'm off to get started on my busy day. I'll be on a plane this time tomorrow!

Construction Update: 9/28/12

We are having a pretty good week in home construction. Things started to turn around because... we got a new project manager on our home. The hubby had had it up to here with the previous project manager's shenanigans i.e. no communication, no organization, not doing what he said he would, etc. He wrote an email to the Schumacher bigwigs, as well as calling and complaining to this guy's boss. Long story short? As of this week, we have someone new on the project.

I like this new guy already. He always calls the hubby back when the hubby leaves him messages. He seems to know what he is doing. On Monday, he told the hubby that the siding would be put installed on Wednesday. Lo and behold, the siding was installed yesterday! This was the first time that something happened early on our home. I told the hubby that during this whole process, everything had been about a week late (sometimes longer). Now, something was done early! I'm pretty stoked about this new guy's potential. He also told the hubby that insulation is being installed on Thursday, and sheet-rocking will be installed on Friday. He said he saw no reason the house shouldn't be done by the time we get back from Oregon. I about died and went to heaven when the hubby told me this. If that does happen, I'm liable to actually look forward to coming home at the end of my trip to Oregon. We'll see on that one :)

We are about 2 full days from leaving for Oregon. I've got today and tomorrow to finish up packing, and organizing our stuff. The hubby and I are leaving his aunt's house Friday at 2 am to leave for the airport. Our flight is at 6:30 am! Wowsers, it's going to a long day! Can't wait till it's over!

As always, here are some pictures of the progress on the home. I have to say, I'm in total love with the color we chose for the siding. Love, love, LOVE it! Couldn't be happier with the exterior of the home.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Wednesday!

Siding being installed.

Finished siding in the front.

Insulation around the main bath.

Insulation in the garage.

Siding being installed on the back of the house.

Siding around our French doors.