Bones to Beauty

The two expansion areas have the concrete poured! I’m so excited as now the fun demolition and rebuild can start to take place. We did get the former ‘catio’ enclosed and tyvex’d. We need to put the siding up, but the window that is in the existing part of the house is getting replaced, so once we set the new window, then we will put up the siding. The reason for this is then we can do as many full sheets and not have as many cuts across this whole section. Next weekend, the plan is to get what will be the new kitchen expansion area all framed and sealed up. Dylan is going to come help as he is very excited to help Chad with this part of the remodel. I’ll gladly take the extra help.

We still have that area in the extra bedroom closet where we took the old AC out. We did get the drywall up in there as well. We wanted to get it all mudded (first coat) but Chad’s hand had enough and since that is just the extra room, no reason to push it. Plus, Sunday was a killer for my allergies, the wind has been non-stop here causing all this pollen dust and just icky air stuff to blow in, I’m just over it (I think I’ve gone through a whole box of tissues). Therefore, Sunday afternoon became a lazy afternoon.

We were able to get the two areas ready for the concrete pads. The picture with just the dirt, was the catio. After many conversations and measurements, this is going to be where the new shower and Rodney bath will go. I have a picture with orange lines – I’m sure that will show all of you how fabulous that will be (kidding, it is a mess)! We decided to keep the laundry room where it is, but going to move the door and move one of the walls as it backs up to the kitchen, so why not just bust down all walls. LOL! The pad that is already poured is where we will be expanding the kitchen, yahoo!!!

They are supposed to be here on Wednesday to put in the footings and then pour concrete on Thursday. I’m so excited. I know the real work will start after that, but at least the first step will be done. We are aiming for the kitchen and all of the downstairs hallway/entry way to be done before we go home for the 4th of July. I would love to say we could kick this out faster, but we have A LOT to tear down, build up, moving of water lines and so much tile to lay. Let alone painting, wiring and naturally ordering of cabinets, countertops and new stoves (meaning we will be at the mercy of the delivery dates).

I was so happy I got to use Hercules again to bust out the bricks. Kind of sad there weren’t more!

This is going to be a happy-sad entry this week. Our Maize fought a good battle against kitty cancer and passed away peacefully Saturday night. She looked very peaceful and now we know she isn’t in pain. We will forever have a special place in our hearts for our Maize. My crazy Maize, my black beauty, my Halloween kitty, my chunky monkey…our hearts will have a hole, but we will never forget the love she brought us. She was Chad’s helper, Chad’s TV buddy and leg warmer in bed. At the end, some fond memories of Maize. RIP my little Maize.

We did get some prep work done this week. We got the catio torn out so the new concrete pad can be laid

Catio before – which is going to become the new laundry room.

Catio before –

Prep work – this area will have a new concrete pad, we will close it in move some walls and make this area the new laundry room.

Who cares if this floor is dirty – white is the new Maize.

Maize got her toys lost behind the cabinet – we did not know that the construction guys left a hole there. Well Maize and her toys found the hole. Chad was getting them out (hence what he is doing in the background).

Best buds – Rodney and Maize

Cannot have a black cat without a Halloween chair. She loved those chairs.

When I would cook, she would sit like this a lot to watch. This is when we introduced her to spinners.

Her favorite thing to do, sit in front of a door or window and watch for hours.

Ok, so I know it is February…but the attic is done so all of my Halloween decorations are back where they belong. Chad was busy this weekend, I only get credit for work done on Saturday. I spent Sunday with Ciera and then Chad and I went to movies Sunday night. Dylan took my place on Sunday though, so Chad wasn’t 100% having to do things on his own.

Accomplishments, lets just say I’m super excited with what got done! We put the linoleum down in the attic and as I stated at the beginning the Halloween decorations brought back home. We found the company to come and pour the concrete footings for the kitchen expansion and also going to pour the concrete foundation where the ‘catio’ is right now. This task was weighing on my mind as I didn’t know what to expect for pricing. We still might make the current catio into the laundry room, so pouring the concrete at the same time. The final thing was tearing out the old AC unit in the extra bedroom. Now we just have to fix the ceiling frame, put up some sheetrock, add the flooring and that closet will be super functional!

The concrete folks were ready to come on Monday, but we need to get the bottom layer of siding pulled off and in the catio remove the screens and old wood foundation. Chad is going to tell them to give us a couple weeks as next week we are helping Ciera and Dylan with their house, so we need just a little bit of prep time. However, I’m OVER THE MOON excited as I cannot wait to destroy the kitchen, tear down walls to expand it and FINALLY get rid of this icky tile that goes from the entry way to the garage!!!

Attic flooring – very cheap but we all know I get impatient waiting for Chad when it comes to decorating for Halloween, and I tend to slide stuff soooo cheap it is as it will get torn by me.

my friends are back!

Tons more room for more Halloween!

If you recall, we did this closet before we opted to put mini-splits in upstairs. This is where the upstairs AC was…so removed the wall so it is just a big rectangle shaped closet now.

Just need to fix the ceiling frame, then we can put up sheetrock, do that little piece of flooring, texture & paint.

This weekend was a one-day work weekend as Ciera and I went to our first Bridal Expo – let’s just say that was not what either of us expected. Maybe we have too high of expectations?

Anyway, we got the last slab of the concrete in the shed poured, so that is done. We may insulate the inside, but that is not a ‘must’ at this time. We also did a “first” for us. I bought a canvas print that was not stretched and we actually managed to stretch it and get it framed. The funny thing is, I ordered a 60×30 and maybe in the country that it came from that equated to 66×35 and this was not for the extra “white” on the side that you wrap under…so with a little adjustment on our part, we did get it mounted and think it turned out good. Sunday when Ciera and I were gone, Chad tidied up his garage, which made him extremely happy! Next week, busting out that wall into the garage attic (I so love demolition!)

We were outside all weekend as the cold front hitting most of the US will get to us on Monday and through the week, so we took advantage of our warm weather. We put up new outside lights on the house (sorry no pics – they are just lights) and poured all but one section of concrete pad in the shed. Yes, we realize it is easier to have the pad done BEFORE you put up a shed, but when we needed to get going on the shed, we were dealing with our rainy season and it just wasn’t going to work out. We needed the shed up so we can finish up the area above the garage. We purposely put the above the garage off until it is our “winter” as then it won’t or shouldn’t be so unbearably hot up there. Our winter is only about a month or two, so time is limited. 🙂 We have only one more section to pour in the shed, then out side of sealing the walls – it will be done. At least done enough to move some items out there so we can proceed with all of our other plans! Or next weekend when I have plans, finishing the inside of the shed, Chad won’t need an extra set of hands. We’ll figure out what the heck we are doing by next weekend!

Chad and I decided we were way to lazy in 2024 and we feel like we didn’t get a lot accomplished. I did remind him that a couple of our projects (living room, painting the outside of the house and the shed weren’t small things). I also reminded him we actually did do a lot of things outside of the house this year, we actually were semi-social. I want to say I disagree with him, but I kinda agree, so our 2025 New Year’s resolution is to get everything done minus any of the touch ups (like repainting trim where I get too aggressive with the vacuum or accidently scraped a small area on a wall as we brought things in or out) and possibly the pool.

In 2025 look for the master bedroom, master bath, entry way/hallway, garage entry and kitchen remodels! I started to look at kitchen cabinets and think I found what I want….so excited! The pool most likely will have to be 2026 as the bath and kitchen remodels will require us to move waterlines, add waterlines and sewage lines…so this will be a fun, dirty, and time consuming mess.

This weekend Chad was on call and did get called out both Saturday and Sunday, so we did what we could with the time we had. We did get the rails up on the landing areas in the Atrium, so now no one can fall to their demise (ok that is probably an overstatement, but I’m sure you could get hurt bad). Gamora IS NOT happy with the rails as we took down her “bridge” to get to the other side. We will be putting up a bridge or cute steps for her, but that did not get done, and she has stood on both sides of the landings letting us know that she is not happy with it. (next weekend Gamora!)

Look at that lighting in the above, I swear that room does not look that horrible, but sure does look like there must be a terrible light in that room and paint color. 🙂 If you look across and down, you can see what the old trim color used to be …. can we say that is one of the areas in 2025 that will be completed? YES!!! That brown must go!

This is a reminder of what is was before and we built in the landings. The far side we had finished and what is open with the beams is what we were still building, but gives you a reminder of the ‘before’.