The grass IS greener...for about 2 months

As as side-effect of living on the sun, my St. Augustine grass did not survive last summer (which went well into Fall, as always). This Spring I decided to spread some grass seed, I think it was Zoysia? I called the little shoots grasslings.

No matter: it was adorable and green, and then it got hot. End of story.

Here are Spring garden pics. This was the first year I didn't do a whole lot of radical planting. It was kind of nice and also sad, because I love that process of creation.

March:

 

May:

The Holy (tile) Grail

I've found it. http://www.countryfloors.com/en/category/area/all/tapestry/turquoise

Here are some images from that page in case you don't want to make the extra clicks but are still vaguely interested:

And I thought I hated blue! Turns out not so much. It looks SOOOO awesome next to the floor tile. At least the ad looks awesome next to the floor tile. Now I just need to:

1. Find someone in Austin who sells it
2. Decide which of my organs I least need so I can sell it to buy this tile

Tile Porn

http://www.countryfloors.com/en/category/area/bathroom

I'm kind of back to square one with the backsplash. I ordered the floor tile and that's super exciting! It should be here in about 3 weeks. Here's the outline for the center pattern, or as Jason commented "the crime scene where the drywall's body was found":

However, they gave me a 6x6" square of it to take home and now that I have it next to the Calacatta Gold and the classic white Subway tiles it doesn't seem to go with either.

So the search for backsplash tile continues.

I am loving my kitchen! Sometimes I just turn on all the undercabinet and in-cabinet lights, leave the room, then go back in just so I can get the full effect. I compulsively rinse my sink and wipe the countertops because they're just too pretty to leave them anything less than perfect.

I painted it a really warm taupe:

Unfortunately I can't just paint a tiny section and accurately judge if I'll like it, so I painted it 4 times before I settled on that color. Luckily for me it's a small kitchen. Of course then it didn't really go with the butter yellow walls in the dining and living room, so I had to paint them too. Now I think maybe I need to reupholster my couch because it doesn't quite go with the walls. That's the unforeseen cost of painting.

p.s. Check out the water running from my awesome faucet into my even more awesome (as if that's possible) sink:

Beginning of the end: Remodel Day 16

Today was a HUGE day: the granite was installed! I am ridiculously happy! I took for granted how much easier life is when you've got a big flat surface to work with in the kitchen. For instance, you can:

• Put your groceries on it when you get home from the store
• Prepare your cat's medication on it
• Set things on it before putting said things away in your new cabinets

You can also put a bowl with fruit on it, so I did:

It's SO beautiful! Here's the full view:

Contrary to appearances the faucet isn't installed. The granite wasn't in place until around 4pm, so the plumber will come tomorrow. Eric is coming in the morning to wrap up miscellaneous cabinet work and then they're out!

Aside from this it was two steps forward and one step back with my other efforts today. I went to pick up the glass for the cabinets and figured out I was able to install them on my own (yay!), but two of the four panels were too wide by about 1/8" so I took them back. Hopefully they'll be ready tomorrow. I made two futile trips to two different Home Depots last night, but after waiting patiently for about an hour this morning I was able to order the additional cabinet knobs. It will likely be a week before they're in, however.

I've narrowed my tile quest down, which is a relief. I'm looking at Calacatta Gold marble in a honed finish, with this pattern:

(I laid it out on the floor and if you squint it looks better. And minus the bottom row of 3x6 tiles, I got overzealous.) My inspiration was this pattern posted on the TileTramp's website:

It's either the marble or plain white subway tiles. I love them because they're so classic (and they're already used in my bath so there's some continuity there), but I'm afraid the solid black countertops and solid white backsplash might look too 50s. Or just boring.

Regardless, now that the countertops are in I can stop guessing about how many rows of each size tile I'll need and actually draw it out on the backerboard. That ought to keep me busy for at least a week, and then I can order tile with confidence.

Let there be light! or Remodel: End of Day 12

Yesterday a lot of finishing work was done on the cabinets, including placing the sink. It isn't really set in place permanently, but it's ready for the granite installation and that's when it will get done.

The guys also reconnected my stove so I could actually start cooking again! (Although I can't wash any dishes I dirty...but it's still progress.)

Today they working on evening out the floor so I can tile someday, and a little more cabinet finishing including the knobs. I love the knobs.

The electrician also came, and this thrills me beyond words: my undercabinet and in-cabinet lighting! It's beautiful!!

Here's another view (no flash):

It's going to look amazing when I finally tile the backsplash! And speaking of that, I've narrowed it down to rectangular-shaped tiles. I think. I'm looking at Calacatta Gold marble OR porcelain subway tiles like in the bathroom.

I love the marble, but I'm not sure it really fits with the house. And in pictures it just seems to look dirty unless it's a solid slab. Case in point here.

My goal is to have the tile in my inexperienced hands by next Thursday to start tiling. I've given myself a decision deadline of tomorrow evening!

Remodel: End of Day 5, aka "Heaven"

Maybe it's because the kitchen is mostly white right now, or maybe it's because the cabinets are all installed...okay, it's because the cabinets are all installed.

Pat brought in his cabinetmaker today - I guess when you make them by hand you know a thing or two about installing someone else's! Very knowledgeable guy, I'm sure his custom-made cabinets rock.

I can't even find the words to express how happy I am! There's still along way to go, and the only other work that will likely happen this week will be measuring for the granite, but this is HUGE for me. Now I have proof that this is going to end and I'll someday have a kitchen again. And a nice one at that!

Insert sigh of relief here.

Remodel: End of Day 4?

At least I think it's ended? I had to take a call for work so I went into my bedroom, and when I came out all the guys were gone and the kitchen lights were out. All their tools are here so I guess they're coming back, although I wouldn't blame them if they didn't: today was a lot of time without a lot of (obvious) progress.

They alternated between trying to figure out how all the different items in the Home Depot boxes fit together and where they go, and trying to get the base cabinets level. I suspect both were equally frustrating for them - I'd have quit a long time ago. (Every day of this project I wonder what on earth ever possessed me to think Jason and I could do this on our own.)

Oh and I'm forgetting the sink! They spent a little time there too: A) it's heavy, B) they'll have to cut a hole (but not too big) in the cabinet that it rests on/in, and C) they'll have to built a support to hold it up (refer back to A). I've heard it called an Apron front or a Farmer's sink, but apparently it's just a big ceramic bowl and not at all what they're worked with before. Learning opportunities for everyone! I found a link to installing one on the DIY network and gave it to them on my iPad for reference. ;-) If all goes well (and I'm sure it will) it will look something like this:

They never sounded frustrated - Pat (the owner) seems to be very patient and his crew are too. I just can't imagine they thought they'd spend so much time with so little to show for it:

I shouldn't make it sound like they accomplished nothing: I think leveling those base cabinets was a HUGE accomplishment. Yay for old houses....

I personally accomplished big stuff before they got here: last night I primed the areas that had been textured after re-floating/taping, and this morning I painted the kitchen ceiling! I can't brag too much: it's a tiny ceiling. Tonight I need to paint the walls. I'm thinking about something other than yellow but I don't know what, so for now I'll just go back to yellow and then I can re-evaluate later. I love painting my walls: any monkey can do it, including this one, and it has such a huge impact!

Hopefully tomorrow things will move faster for them. As for me I kind of got my wish: they unpacked enough cabinets that I don't have to squeeeeeze past them to get into the dining room. I only have to turn sideways a bit. :-)