landscaping

We could no longer tolerate living with so much mud in front of or behind the house, so despite other priorities, we moved ahead with hardscaping and landscaping. I can not believe how improved the house looks with the softness of the plants. It's great and it has been fun to watch as the plants change daily. These pics were taken on the first day of completion. I'll post more pics later that show the back yard and how the plants have matured.

Approved!!

Apparently our sacrifices to the gods of county inspection have been received because we have been approved for our Certificate of Occupancy. We can now (finally!!) move into our home. YEAH!! The house has been ready for many weeks and Ward has mowed the lawn several times now. While I like to think that my parents have enjoyed our company, I know that our pets have outstayed their welcome. And we are very much looking forward to putting our furniture where it will go. In the meantime, here's some more recent photos of the house. We will become official residents on the weekend of July 21, 2007.

This is the built-in desk in the foyer.
Here's a view of the family room/breakfast nook. The kitchen is on the left.


The powder room, close to finished.
The guest bathroom.
The master bathroom.
The master bath shower. (The shower seat and threshold have the same granite as the vanity.)

This is a shot of the master bedroom, which looks pretty plain without any bedding or art. (We couldn't get too comfortable or they might assume we had moved in.) There's a great view of the trees in the yard from the bed.

So keep your eyes open for a "house wrecking" party invitation! Ward and I are very excited to get the grill going!

More finishing touches

We're having fun picking out some of the finishing touches as we anticipate moving in. Things are shaping up, but I am getting SERIOUSLY antsy about wanting to move in. Plus, I think our small dog Jack has far outlasted his welcome at my parent's house. They're so nice not to say so, but I can see it in their eyes.

These are the new bathroom mirrors.


And here's yet another shot of Ward's beautiful mantel.

you can now add "carpet laying" to the resume . . .

In an effort to makes inspectors of all sorts happy, Ward and Paul laid some carpet on our stairs until we're ready to put on the oak tops. (I'm not sure what this is called, but the rise of the stairs will be painted and the run will be oak like the floors.) Ward snaged some scrap carpeting from the men's department at Nordstroms and it works great for our stairs.

Mantel Done

Well, Ward and Adam spent a little more time on the mantel and it's now PERFECT!

Teriffic job Ward! You get major points for great craftsmanship and design, as well as engineering the installation of one SERIOUSLY HEAVY mantel.

The end is near . . . I can taste it.

The Hanging of the Mantel

We're getting ready to make the big move (we hope), so details are coming together. Here are Ward, Paul and Nathan hanging the Ward-made mantel, made of Padauk, an "exotic" African hardwood. This wood is so hard that it took quite a while to drill the holes for hanging and Nathan had to ice down the drill bit between efforts. And the mantel is SUPER heavy, but Ward did a beautiful job! :)

Thank goodness for the iceman!

More Plumbing Trim & Appilances

We are very happy with the new appliances and plumbing fixtures. They look nice and have a solid feel to them. The additional cost was well worth it and was not much in the grand scheme of things. Something that you use everyday should be sturdy and satisfying.

The range/oven and the refrigerator were purchased at the Sears Outlet on Cass Ave. Alison felt it was like shopping for a Christmas tree. It's true. You have to look for a long time to find the right tree. All of the appilances in this store are damaged in some way. Can you find it?

Trim Plumbing + Appliances

We are nearing the end. And not too soon, I say. This has been a battle which I was not expecting. The weather delayed the septic installation by months.

While extremely rewarding, and I'll do it again (if I have to), I think there has to be a better way . . . . I face the Dupage county inspector on Monday, 5/14/07. We'll see if he defines "furnishing" the same way I do.

The next blog entry will be as occupants to 5815 Lee Ave.

The Kitchen

The Powder Room

The Master Bath

Master Bath Shower

The #$%! House

Natives Get Restless

Mom and Dad have put us up in their home in Burr Ridge while we wait for operational septic and getting our certificate of occupancy.

The Beave Stands Watch

Be careful. The Beave stands watch. The Beave has stood watch over multi-millon dollar projects. He has stood strong and still in the most fabled of construction trailers. He watched as his fallen comrades took their places on the walls of 6112 W. Grand Avenue in Gurnee. Or perhaps with the Motor City Orphans in Auburn Hills, MI. For the Beave, this job is a mere footnote to his exciting career. But, he takes his job seriously and several intruders have experienced his wrath. He has the uncanny ability to "scare" those who enter. Some think he is a rat or even a squirrel. "How could such an animal be in a place like this", the victim shrieks. Actually, the recordings are " . . . what the hell is that!", but the Beave knows what they are thinking . . . .