Progress?

Well, this past week has been interesting! The contractors finished framing up the walls in the downstairs master suite - pantry, double closets, hall, walk-in shower, etc. - and we are hoping to get the plumber out next week to begin installing the lines for the shower, toilet, and clawfoot tub. However, we have been dealing with the joys of the home's very questionable electrical wiring (thank you, previous home owners: you were too cheap to have a pro wire your house, so instead you chose to do-it-yourself. Word to the wise: if you don't know anything about electrical wiring, DON'T DO IT!!!). We have basically had to rewire the whole house. The electrician has been out here every day, and he's still not finished! It's very frustrating...I just got handed a $3500 electrical bill today, and I have half a mind to march over to the previous owners (yes, I do in fact know where they are living now) and cram it down their throats!!! What were they thinking??! The electrician even told us that you can't even find replacement parts for the ones that the previous owners used, because they have been outlawed due to their extreme electrocution/fire hazard! Grrrrrrrrreat...

Sorry, I needed to vent...

Demo Work!

Well, the contractors have been working for over a week on demolishing the downstairs (and they've been doing a GREAT job!). They had a guy come in with a jack hammer and tear up all of the concrete so that they could lay down the new plumbing for the 2nd master bath.


Yesterday we had the plumbing inspection (yes, we are playing 100% by the book, which is VERY difficult in a county whose laws are so ridiculous that most people don't even bother anymore), and they framed out the walls for our master closet and...drum roll, please...WALK-IN WINE CELLAR! Can you tell I am excited?? Ryan and I have memberships to several wonderful vineyards throughout the valley, including an Inner Circle membership to Troon, so needless to say: we generally have a lot of wine on hand at any given moment. And let me just say that I can't wait until the remodeling is done and the house is organized, so that Ryan and I can throw a fabulous Grand Opening Celebration (and use up some of that wine!).

They should be pouring concrete over the new plumbing any day now, and then creating our master bath (which means I have to get serious about tile colors...I hate going into the tile stores - it's like sensory overload!!). We bought ALL of our interior doors (for the entire house) from an antique salvage shop in Medford. All of the hardware we managed to score either off of craigslist (where for $40 we snagged four sets of antique door hardware from a 1910 San Fran mansion!) or from that salvage shop. For our master bath vanity, we purchased (again, off of craigslist) a small antique oak dresser - which we are converting to fit sink plumbing - and a white porcelain with blue china pattern vessel sink and bronze wall-mounted lavatory faucet. We have a refinished antique clawfoot tub (another craigslist score) that we are centering under the window, and there will also be a walk-in shower in the master bath.

I am so excited for everything! It will be great to see the before and after (and don't worry - I am taking lots of pictures). Next, they will be gutting the kitchen...

More Baby Pictures
(Because I Know You Want to See Them!!!)

Ryan got some more adorable baby Troz pictures this morning. She's such a doll! Enjoy!...