Before and During

The following photos aren't that great, but for those who asked to see, they should give you the gist of what's currently going on at the new (to us) Manor.

First off, if you haven't seen this over on teh Facey Spaces, here's the first thing I removed from the house after I signed the papers and got the key:

It's still in the garage, because I kinda hope I get invited to a white elephant gift exchange this Christmas.

Okay, on to some more stuff.

Here's the back hallway, facing toward the front of the house. The door in front of you is the garage; the door in front of it is the open door of an oddly-placed closet. Oh, well, at least we have storage. To the left is the laundry closet (I wouldn't call it a room because you can't actually walk into it, but it's big enough for the washer and dryer and a couple more things). To the right is the master bedroom. Behind the camera is the bedroom we're using as the study/office/whatever. Guest room and hallway bath are around the corner to the left.

Here's the breakfast area. It's maybe halfway finished. No, I take that back. Only the floor is finished. But we still have to seal the grout, so technically, none of it is finished. We must also rid it of the rest of the wallpaper, paint it with the same tan and red we used in our old house, and replace the light fixture.

Here's the dining area (three walls and an open view of the living area, so not technically its own room). Two walls painted the same red as our old dining room. Third wall painted the same tan as our old kitchen and the lower part of our old dining room. Though it doesn't show up in the photo, the light fixture is the hard-wired oval paper lantern we had in the old house (new owners let us take it). The doorway you see leads to the breakfast area off the kitchen (pictured above).

More kitchen-in-progress. The cabinets have already been stripped and re-painted white, but the pinkish wallpaper has yet to go. The countertops left today. Granite countertop installation happens Friday. Dishwasher installation should happen before that; stove installation after; and a new, deeper sink at the same time as the granite.

Also, we discovered our fridge, the pretty one we bought last year during the Kitchen Remodel of Aught-Nine, is too wide for the space in this new kitchen. Craptastic! We have to buy a new fridge, and hopefully sell the year-old one at a decent return. Plus, we made a little money off the previous owners' fridge, which they didn't care to take with them. (We have sold a number of such things on that list, by that guy. You know the one.)

I'm feeling way over-consumed. We aren't going into debt to do any of this, but I don't like buying so much stuff.

Which is one of the reasons why we're going to endure the master bathroom's current condition a bit longer...

Yeah, let me give you a close-up of that wallpaper pattern. Notice the sheen of stripes? As if the other wasn't enough.

Impromptu contest: Leave a description of this wallpaper, or perhaps a story of the pattern's origin, in the comments. Best answer gets a prize. I'll figure out what the prize is while I'm unpacking. Which should happen some time before Christmas. Maybe.

Mystery post

Ever want to blog about something without really knowing what that something is?

Let's try a thankfulness list:
I'm thankful that I have piddly little first-world problems. I'm thankful for the glass of pinot grigio I just finished. I'm thankful for sweet husband who understands my occasional need to stay up later than he does.

New topic:
Lent is coming. I haven't decided whether I'm taking on a discipline or giving up something. For the first time in a while, I have a bit of an urge to do neither. Maybe it's like the year after we gave up caffeine for Lent -- we decided to give up Lent for Lent. Who knows... the right practice may yet strike before I get my smudge of ashes.

Okay, one more, then I give up and go to bed:
The Boy seems to be fully recovered from his upper-GI nastiness. He's acting like a normal blue heeler again. Technically, I guess he was acting like a normal blue heeler when he ate the bunny, and when he threw it up. But I'd prefer he not do that at all. Dogs will be dogs, I suppose.

How Good I Have It.

When my car wouldn't start yesterday, our household had a second car to jump into.

When my car problem couldn't be solved today, I could afford to have it towed to the dealership.

If I wanted to, I could begin the process of buying a brand-new car tomorrow morning -- with no roadblocks whatsoever in my way.

We filled out our 1040 this evening. A good-sized refund will go straight into our savings account, and the amount we deducted for charitable giving is more than last year's income for some people I know.

My dentist says I have the teeth of a much older woman, but they're all actually my real teeth, none missing.

Our kitchen could use an upgrade to get rid of old colors, impractical cabinetry, and a traffic bottleneck in front of the refrigerator. But we have friends who told us that if we really love each other, don't remodel the kitchen, as it nearly destroyed their marriage. They weren't kidding.

The couch right behind me is 26 years old. It's not gorgeous, but it's a neutral color and we aren't picky about letting the dogs up on it with us.

We "need" new floor covering. But the carpet is basically clean, if a bit tattered in spots.

I have absolutely no reason to whine about my life.