Termites. Lots and lots of termites did this to our original hardwoods. We live in South Florida so termites love the humidity and thrive here. The little buggers decided it was time to start swarming around the house too. Gross.Thankfully, the structural components of our house are in great shape with barely any damage. The main roof beams and floor joists are made of Dade County Pine - a wood that termites don't seem to enjoy as much as our red oak floors. So now that we've moved in with all … [Read more...]
phase 2
Our house renovation is being done in phases. Why? Because money does not grow on trees (unfortunately) and we don't have a ton of time to spare. We have pretty much finished up the front part of the house. Is it all furnished? Do we have base boards? Are all the light fixtures done? Of course not! But it looks nice enough to invite people over for dinner and drinks now. Pictures to come soon :)That is enough for me to start planning how we are going to tackle Phase 2. What is included in Phase … [Read more...]
6 crazy weeks
As promised, I dug up some photos of the demolition phase. We closed on the house on the 21st of December and proceeded to head straight into a crazy schedule of demolition and renovation from day one. First thing we did was move in all of our tools, bring some wine and beer and start ripping out the carpet, curtains, and anything else we could manage. The first 6 weeks were intense as we were both working the entire time but they were extremely productive. I still can't believe the house looked … [Read more...]
time for a little tour – house tour
I've been traveling quite a bit the last few weeks for work so I haven't had any time for house projects. I thought it would be a good time to do a little tour to show you what we started with. I hope to follow up in the next post with some during shots of the major work we did the first month in. Most of these might have come from the actual listing and our first walk through. What can't be captured in these photos is the overwhelming filth (dirt, dust and overall grime) that caked every … [Read more...]
what happened to spring?
I admit, living in South Florida I’m quite spoiled in terms of weather. I landed in Chicago yesterday and will be here most of the week on business. It is in the 30s in March. I thought it was spring?! I’m not prepared for this. Thankfully, I own a wool coat and boots but the rest of my wardrobe is seriously lacking for this weather. I will be locked up in a conference room most of the time in the Aon Center where our corporate office is so I should stay pretty warm. At least it is a great … [Read more...]
working 9 to 5 – craft room
I work full time in a demanding corporate job and also decided to take the plunge and start an MBA program last summer. Having a dedicated and organized space for all the work and school stuff going on was a top priority. I also love crafting so having a full room for all of this is a huge treat. Somehow I managed to convince the hubby that the first room is the house that had to be 90% done would be the office/craft room. Yes, even before the kitchen...I have my priorities straight ;)Our story … [Read more...]
