Still at it!

We are still taking care of the finishing touches.

The old saltillo tile in the entry of my house was not my style, plus it was chipped from skateboarding and obviously needed to be replaced (it was only 33 years old). So Monday we headed to Floor & Decor to pick out replacement tile. I've been to a couple of places and couldn't decide, so I dragged my crew with me. We picked out a beautiful porcelain tile with brown, red, and gold, that goes with the acid stain, the brown perimeter, and the gold walls, yet it's different enough to keep people from falling off the raised entry. When we picked out the tile, I had to make the grout color decision. Geez, that was a hard decision. Did I want to go light, dark, or in between? I chose an in between color, and it turned out to be perfect.

Tuesday they removed the old tile. It was tougher than expected, and lots of the thinset remained. They worked on removing the thinset the next day, cut the tiles Thursday, put them in place Friday, and grouted Saturday. I love the tile. They're 20x20, so different from the 6x6 I had before.

The bookcases finally came in Wednesday. I stopped by the house about 2:30 after a funeral to see if they were on the front porch. Four 90-pound boxes about 90 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 6 inches deep were placed in front of my garage door! I freaked out! Although I figured they would be safe on my front porch, I never imagined the delivery guy would put them right in front of my house so all the traffic on the busy street could see them. I parked my car as close to the boxes as I could, placed the trash bins so they hid the boxes, and went inside and called the office to let them know that I wasn't coming back.

Once the entry was finished, my crew assembled the bookcases. The website said they were unfinished, but the photos showed a sort of dark finish, so I figured they'd blend in with my walls. Well, the pieces were so unfinished they almost glowed, it was obvious we'd have to do something - paint or stain. Which? Whichever I chose, I'd have to choose a color. Dang! Another dang decision to make. I went to Home Depot and spent at least an hour going back and forth between stain and paint trying to make a decision. I chose a stain color called "Provincial" and was pretty happy with my decision. Then I headed to check out their Formica counter tops to use for a desk in my office. The armoire that I'm using is too small and confining, and I need to do something else.

When I was at the dentist last week having a root canal done, I noticed their counter tops. Very simple - counters on plywood legs. We can do that! I knew Home Depot had counter tops, so while I was there, I checked them out. Reasonably priced, I decided that this was definitely a possibility - maybe 2 pieces that would fit in the corner. As I was leaving the counter tops, I saw the display of vanities, and the colors caught my attention. That's when I realized I didn't want to stain the bookcases. I want to paint them the same color as the trim. I want the bookcases to look built in, and since the kitchen cabinets are light, I think the bookcases should be as well.

One thing that makes my crew chuckle is when I say "I was thinking . . ." They always know this will cost me money and they'll have one more thing to do. When I told them I was thinking the bookcases should be painted, we pictured all the pieces leaning up against trees, bricks, the house, all over the place. It seemed like a daunting task. Then David said "I was thinking . . .", and we laughed. We decided that we should assemble the bookcases, THEN paint. What a great idea! After I saw the bookcases assembled, I got really excited and asked if we could remove the shoe moulding and attach the bookcases to the wall, but I was told that wouldn't work. Then I heard "I was thinking . . ." and we decided to remove the baseboards and shoe moulding behind the bookcases and put the trim down the sides and in front instead so they would really look built-in. They fit in the space, and I'm so excited.

We are so close to being done! Now, just rugs and hanging things on the walls, and the inside is done!

The landscaper is doing a great job outside. He's cleaned up the flowerbeds that were overgrown with weeds. He picked up the old mulch, laid down a weed barrier that is really keeping the weeds under control and finished with a darker mulch. The sage has grown; the Lantanas are really pretty, and I love the way they smell. My grandmother had Lantana and primrose, and I'll have primrose soon as well. At least that what I hope the plant I want is called. We'll plant 3 on the street side of the house, which will help cut back on the amount of grass to cut, and when they're mature, offer some privacy for the windows on that side of the house. We finally worked out a maintenance schedule, and the sprinkler system has been completed. I can't believe how awesome my house is! I just wish Daddy could see it.