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Hebrews 3:4

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Seeing Spots




First step to painting our garage is to spot-prime the knot holes on the pine siding with stain blocking primer. Daddy and I managed to get one coat on all the siding except for one small area on the back of the garage. Tomorrow he'll do a second coat just to be sure, while I sweep up inside the house. Shimmer enjoyed snapping the photos while we painted. Next step will be to prime the garage with a tinted primer before painting it with our color of choice.

Brick by Brick





Yesterday afternoon Shimmer and Shine had a playdate at the pool courtesy of some friends while Daddy and I took a road trip to pick out brick for our fireplace and chimney. The final decison was a molded antique brick. Not as much color as I had originally envisioned, but the "oldness" of the brick was more to Daddy's liking.

Today our little bricklayers were hard at work unloading the brick one by one into the shed, so Daddy could return the trailer we borrowed. Then we were ready to tackle our next goal...

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Home is Where the Hearth Is


Work on the firebox began today. So grateful to have an experienced mason this time around. When we built our last home, we ran into a subcontractor nightmare when it came time for the fireplace to be constructed... and I shed lots of tears before we had to have someone else come and try to correct the mess. Thankfully, this time we are blessed with a wonderful man to do the job... a craftsman through and through.

Back to Nature



Today we had a few visitors at the house. Shine and this little froggy spent some time watching each other... and tonight as we drove up to the house with Daddy, this Mama deer and her baby were passing by.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

My Chimney Sweep


Our mason has been making progress on the chimney stack. Tonight he got a little admiration and help from the cutest chimney sweep I know :)

Working Your Way Up



Between yesterday morning and tonight the front of the house is now almost completely sided... home sweet home.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Measure Twice, Cut Once





Shine and I dropped Shimmer off at her first day of soccer camp this morning and then drove over to the house to see what might be happening. Turns out the crew had started siding the house! Don't be fooled... it may look like it will be gray with white trim, but it's all primer on the hemlock. We actually plan to paint the whole house including trim monochromatically for a primitive look. I won't give away our color choices just yet... you'll have to keep following.

Meanwhile, we stayed a little while this morning for a carpentry lesson to watch how they would side around the windows.

Friday, July 23, 2010

On Top of Things




Another week comes to a close already. The beadboard ceiling was installed today on the screen porch and so were the garage transoms. Details are everything...

And, speaking of details, have I told you that we've decided to put our guest quarters up on the third floor instead of in the basement as originally planned. There was so much great space in the attic we hated to see it go to waste, and this will free up the basement for more recreation area in the future. We also think that someday Shine will probably want to have his own hangout upstairs and then we'll use his bedroom as the guest room instead. I'm afraid as fast as time seems to pass now, that "that someday" will come much sooner than we think...

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Place Your Orders





Shimmer and Shine took a road trip with me to our old neck of the woods this afternoon. Shimmer got to go swimming with her oldest BFF's, while Shine (who won't leave Mommy) went with me to finalize orders for most of our lighting, countertops and tile flooring. Despite the distance, I find things like this are sometimes better done in person.

On our way home Daddy sent us to meet our GC and mason at a home he had looked at when it was on the market awhile back. It has a rumford fireplace like he wants and the new homeowners were gracious enough to let us visit this evening to take some measurements and a few pictures for reference.

Since we were out of town most of the day, we missed all the goings on at the site, which included moving the showers and tubs that were delivered yesterday up to the second and third floors. Probably better I wasn't there to see that anyway... would have made me nervous to say the least!

We also got some better pictures of the siding on the barn. Plus, the house looks extra beautiful tonight with all the window screens removed. I'm guessing they've been taken off to prepare to side the house.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

A Late Night Visit


Daddy's parents were over tonight for a certain celebration and we were able to take them by our new house on their way back out of town. A little too dark for pictures but I did snap one of the siding that was started today on the barn.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Simple Beauty




Front entry trim added today and screen porch nearing completion. I don't know what else to say... I'm in love with the timeless designs of Connor Homes. Thoughts of welcoming family and friends through our front door in the years to come fill me.

Galatians 6:10

Monday, July 19, 2010

Opposite Ends... and In Between




This week opens with more work on our screen porch. The mahogany flooring was installed today. I also thought I'd take a few pictures of our garage, since I don't remember doing that lately to give you a view of the trimwork that's been added recently. Still waiting for the transoms to be installed. They are one of my favorite things about our "barn".

I don't think I've shared that many photos of the rear of our home either. Here's one that shows the exterior progress and the beauty of our home from all sides... something that has always been important to us, and another reason we were drawn to Connor Homes.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

He Got One!




As if all the activity, heavy equipment, and progress on the house weren't enough entertainment, Shine has been filled with anticipation with each trip since the discovery of the frog village. He wants to catch one in the worst way... and, all his hunting paid off tonight. As Daddy and I were headed up to the house to mark out exterior outlets and faucets, we heard him squeal with excitement "I GOT ONE... I GOT ONE!!!!" We took a few pictures, watched him a little, and then let him go.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Another Door Opens...



Driving up to the house tonight and Shine was bursting with excitement... "we've got doors!!!!!" Aren't they beautiful? I just don't think there is anything like an authentic wood door.

Shingling is complete on the house and garage, and trimwork has begun on the screen porch. Great ending to another week on the site...

Shimmer was a big help to Daddy while we swept up tonight, too.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Heating Up




Met with our HVAC contractor today while more shingling continued on the exterior. We originally wanted to heat our home using a geo-thermal system; but, unfortunately it is too cost prohibitive. Would love to do radiant heat instead, and hope we don't regret not doing it, but that would require a second system for a/c (which also adds considerable cost). We've decided to go the forced air route. Warmth in the house is all that really matters to me in the end... and I plan to find some decorative register returns to add some charm.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Frog Hunters




As if roofing wasn't enough excitement, we found out today that some little frogs have made their home in the ditch in front of our lot. Our GC told Shine about them and he couldn't be more excited. Apparently, they hitched a ride on a load of river rock that was used to backfill and found their way to the water in the ditch.

Shine got Shimmer to help him try to catch one tonight. The frogs are fast! And, the kids were a little timid so they'll have to work on their frog-catching skills again the next time we come over.

Up on the Roof



The roofing crew was on site today and shingling started on the mudroom addition and the garage. By days' end the entire mudroom connector was shingled. Only one problem... our plans called for some sort of standing seam metal roofing on the front porch. We'd hoped to "break" things up and make the house look like it had been added to over time.

Worse things could happen though... and we weren't yet sure what the added cost would've been to do the metal roofing, so we're moving ahead. Suggestion was made to think about doing metal on the screen porch instead, but if we do it at all, I want it to be on the mudroom. Maybe a few years down the road, we'll revisit the idea and do that entire section of the house (front & back), which would probably look better than the small portion over the porch we had planned anyway.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Go Sit on the Step...





Trimwork being done on the mudroom addition today when we stopped over. The electrician was also hard at work installing the meter box. Tonight when we came back over with Daddy, Shimmer and Shine got themselves in some trouble by being a little too wild in the house. Their punishment... sent to the step for the first time under this roof. Basement steps were installed today and they serve more than one purpose just fine ;)

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Windows to My Soul





We took delivery of our exterior trim package this morning from Connor Homes and by day's end all windows in the house were installed. "Nail by nail and board by board" this is quickly beginning to feel like home. I drove Shimmer and Shine over again at the end of the day and we found shelter from a passing storm inside our home and watched the raindrops through our new windows.

We're proud to be using windows made in the USA in Rutland, VT by Green Mountain Window Co. They combine the "traditional/historic detail distinct to the Northeast with the energy performance demanded by its unique climate".