IKEA RAGE!!!

a picture is worth 1000 words... and an alan wrench.

A few little tweaks today.

This blog is mostly for Sean's benefit, but you can enjoy it too.

Here is the second flight of stairs with the lights off:

A view from the top of the stairs toward the front of the house:

And now the exciting news of the day!

Our gates are up!!!

Allow me to take this opportunity to plug
Mike's Welding of Baltimore
yet again!

These guys are AMAZING!

If you have anything that needs welding, seriously,
call them up and tell them we sent you.

We are utterly smitten with Mike and his crew!

410-988-9365

Here they are - the fanciest pet/baby gates ever built!

The third floor:

The second floor, outside the front bedroom (view from the stairs):

Same gate, looking right at it:

Thanks to Remington for demonstrating how a child might interact with said gate:

We have also sprouted some towel bars and rings (2nd floor hall bath):

There you go, Sean!
I love you! Hurry home!

All camera phone edition....

First of all, no, we haven't moved in yet.

Yes, we are angry.

No, we haven't killed anyone yet.

Second of all, this is the all camera phone edition because I
keep leaving my CF card in the computer instead of
putting it back in the camera.

Sean is so anxious to see his stair opus complete,
I had to resort to the camera phone.

So without further ado:

A close up ( notice the clean stair!):

And now we step outside.

Looking at the back from the deck
(notice the new trim AND the correct door!):

Looking out onto our yard full of garbage from the back deck:

More garbage!!

Our new front column and trim:

Back inside on the 3rd floor:

In other news, our pet/baby gates will be installed Friday, and the clean up has started on the second and third floors. Also, we have finally received and official PASS on our electrical inspection, so we're ready to roll!!

Our final inspection (and therefore our occupancy permit) MAY happen before Sean's return from China. I have done a lot of screaming in the last five weeks (and also a bit of crying, and then some threatening of legal action). These things together seemed to have spurred SOME actual working....but no, we're not moving in this weekend either.

We're incredibly frustrated, but we're sure that it will be worth it!

Someday.

We're just trying to stay positive at this point! Wish us luck in the true home stretch!

(s...l....o....w.....but nonetheless) Progress

Look what we have!
Fancy windowsills!

Honey Onyx to match the powder room floor
(top is the sill, bottom is the floor - with register cut out):

A nice place to sit in the front window (notice our unpainted historic trim):

Gold Vyara in our master bedroom:

Absolute Black in our master bath:

Front bedroom window (also Gold Vyara):

Third floor window (same):

And look! They swept the floor!!!
I was so shocked, I had to take photographic evidence:

But seriously, this weeks pièce de résistance....

our (just a hair shy of finished) back deck!

Only 20 more days until Sean is back from China!
Don't forget to check out his China blog,
and thank him for bringing the Olympics right to your couch!
Have a lovely week, all!