Sights and Sounds

Miles of Tile

I was surprised to see the tile guy and gal at the lake house today...along with their two children. They apparently were close enough to being finished that they came today to complete the tiling job. Despite my concerns about color variations living/dining/kitchen floors, it looks great! They did a good job in mixing up the various shades and coloration so it looks natural. This is a shot throughout the living room prior to the addition of grout.

This shows the view after the grout. The floor is actually still wet from cleaning off excess grout.

The guest bathroom

The master bath

All the tile areas look great, but I think the kitchen is the most beautiful! This is before grout.

What a relief that it all looks great! Can't wait to get everything else finished...maybe by the end of March...hopefully!

Springing Forward

A sure sign that Spring is right around the corner is when the Redbuds begin to bloom. This gnarly old tree is just off our porch. I hope that it will hang in there with us for a few more years because it is so pretty. A few more days and it should be in top form!

When I drove up to the lake house, the only sounds to be heard were the birds singing. It was so peaceful and relaxing! I took some time to feed the deer and enjoy the sounds of nature knowing that it wouldn't last very long.

Right on cue the tile guys (and gal) arrived. I wanted to be there before they started tiling to check all the selections to be sure they were correct and going in the right places. Not that I don't trust the builder to be sure that everything is right, but changing a mistake in the tile is not something that can easily be fixed once it is laid - better to make that extra check, just to be sure! (Shauna, I'm sure you are laughing right now!)

The kitchen will get granite tile on the countertops with ceramic tile backsplash.

Both bathrooms will have ceramic tile counters and tub surrounds. The master bath will also have tile in the separate shower.

The floor of the the main living areas - kitchen, dining, and living rooms - will have brown tile. I have no idea what it will look like because, as they were bringing in the boxes, every tile looked completely different!

We shall see what the whole thing looks like when it is done - should be completed by Monday! It makes me a little nervous...hope I made the right choices...

Not only were the tile guys and gal working, but some plumbing guys came to lay new water line from the meter to the house - a total of 200 feet. They will also make the connection to the water line coming from the house.

By Saturday, we should have a better idea of what it will all look like, so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed that it will all end up okay!

Dining in Style!

I am getting ready to order a dining room table and chairs from the local Amish Furniture store. They will be a great fit for the room and the house. We will also get extra leaves so we can accommodate larger groups when needed! It will be 2-3 months from order date to delivery, so we probably will not receive them until May. They will be worth the wait!

Cabinet Extravaganza!

The cabinets which were delivered on Wednesday are all installed! Each step now seems more dramatic than the one before. Terry was home this weekend - the first in quite some time. He was excited to see all the changes!

This kitchen wall will include refrigerator and stove/oven

        

This side will have sink and dishwasher

Cabinets are made of knotty Alder and carry through in the bathrooms too.

 Closet hardware and all interior doors have been installed.

So, what's next? I think that paint, counter tops, and tile will be in the near future! Completion actually feels like it is within reach, but I still don't know exactly when!

Please watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition on Sunday at 7:00 P.M. on ABC. Tilson Homes helped build this home for a soldier injured in the shooting spree at Fort Hood in 2009.

http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition/episode-guide

If deer could talk...

Buck: Where's the food?
Bambi: Be patient! She'll get it out soon.
Buck: Where's the food?
Bambi: Let's all just stand here and stare at her.
Buck: Where's the food?
Bambi: I'll bat my eyelashes...that always works!
Buck: Hmmmm...

Yes, they got their food and the buck is busy chowing down while Bambi on the left is chasing off anyone that comes too close. Lots of food fights with deer...but not the same kind of food fights as you normally might have.

I think that by Saturday there will be some pretty spectacular changes in the look of the house, so I think I'll wait until then to say too much more.  This picture will give you an idea of what is to come...

Stay tuned!

Dramatic Change!

While I am at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Conference in Austin this week, Matt took a drive up to the lake to check on progress.

I knew that the drywall was coming, but I did not anticipate what a change in appearance it would make!

From the front door, looking into the living room...

From the living room, looking into the dining room...

From the dining room, looking through the living room toward the bedrooms...

Master bedroom...